Researchers have recently found that the younger people are when they develop type 2 diabetes, the higher their risk of dementia later in life. While many studies have previously linked diabetes and dementia, this study is the first of its kind to uncover the relationship between the timing of diabetes and how it can affect dementia down the line.
Experts believe that diabetes can harm the brain in several ways, especially when it develops in people at an early age. This can put younger people with diabetes at particular risk down the road.
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The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes had no greater risk of developing dementia than those without diabetes. For those who had been diagnosed ten years earlier, however, the outcome was drastically different. The study revealed that these people had double the risk of dementia versus diabetes-free people the same age.
“Younger age at onset of diabetes implies longer duration, which allows all the adverse effects of diabetes to develop over a longer period,” said senior researcher Archana Singh-Manoux, a research professor with the University of Paris and the French national health institute INSERM.
Understanding Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes develops when the body loses sensitivity to the hormone that regulates blood sugar called insulin. This can cause chronically high blood sugar, eventually damaging small and large blood vessels throughout the body over time.
The damage to the blood vessels can impair blood flow to the brain, resulting in dementia. Diabetes treatments over a long period of time can cause frequent episodes of low blood sugar, which can also harm the brain.
As the prevalence of diabetes continues to increase, the need for prevention and alternative treatments becomes more critical than ever. The onset age of diabetes also continues to get younger. This means that people will be living longer with diabetes, making them more vulnerable to the disease’s complications. It has been previously documented that younger people who have diabetes are at a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
Researchers stress that this study is adding to the mounting evidence that more steps need to be taken to help prevent the disease before it becomes a problem. It also shows the importance for people in their 40s and 50s with diabetes to understand the risk of dementia. Diabetes control can mean taking medication or insulin, implementing diet changes, and engaging in regular physical exercise, all of which can have extensive long-lasting health benefits.
Sarah began her interest in nutritional healing at an early age. After going through health problems and becoming frustrated with the conventional ways doctors wanted to treat her illness (which were not working), she took it upon herself to find alternative treatments. This led her to revolutionize her own diet to help her get healthier and tackle her health problems. She began treating her illness by living a more balanced lifestyle through healthy food choices, exercise and other alternative medicine such as meditation. This total positive lifestyle change led her to earn a diploma in Nutritional Therapy from Health Sciences Academy in London, England. Today, Sarah enjoys helping others by teaching healthy lifestyle changes through her personal consultations and with her regular contributions to the Doctors Health Press. Also, passionate about following her dreams in life, Sarah moved to France and lived in Paris for over 5 years where she earned a certification in beadwork and embroidery from Lesage (an atelier owned by Chanel). She then went on to be a familiar face sitting front row and reporting from Paris Fashion Week. Sarah continues to practice some of the cultural ways of life she learned while in Europe. They enjoy their food, and take the time to relax and enjoy many of life’s little moments. These are life lessons she is glad to have brought back home with her.
