Studies Are Increasingly Finding High Blood Sugar May Be Associated With Dementia

A new study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism has found a significant association between blood sugar and the development of Alzheimer’s dementia. In a large study which looked at the genetic data of nearly 350,000 men and women, it was found that a higher glucose load 2 hours post-meal was associated with a nearly 69% increased Alzheimer’s dementia risk.

This is certainly not the first time this association has been suggested. In fact, the Alzheimer’s Society goes one step further, correlating length of time with diabetes to an increased risk: “Research shows that type 2 diabetes increases a person’s risk of developing dementia. Dementia risk also increases with the length of time someone has diabetes and how severe it is.”

Alzheimer’s is a specific disease that is categorized under the broader umbrella of dementia. Dementia is a generic catch-all term for a number of diseases that may include symptoms of changes in or loss of memory, cognitive abilities or language; there a variety of different forms of dementia, such as vascular dementia and fronto-temporal dementia, and each has its own unique characteristics that differentiates it from the generic category.

Dementia can become a debilitating condition, often leading individuals to have significant impairments in their activities of daily living, other comorbidities, a notable drop in quality of life measures, and overall poorer mortality and health outcomes.

Studies indicate that the number of dementia cases in the United States is expected to double by 2060, with those above age 55 especially at risk. The reasons for this huge increase are numerous. Most importantly, the rate of chronic disease such as hypertension and diabetes has sky-rocketed globally, both of which have significant association with dementia. Research has found that the global prevalence of diabetes has now reached nearly 9.3% and is expected to grow even further to 10.2% in the next four years; this is broadly due to poorer global diets, an increase in sedentary lifestyles, and numerous environmental factors that have increased over the past two decades. Furthermore, a steadily aging population means that a larger percentage of the population will inherently be above 55 years of age, facing concomitant age-related health issues and ailments.

Fortunately, significant resources and funding are being poured into this area of science to innovate new ways to both diagnose and treat the disease. Currently, neurological evaluation in addition to imaging such as CT, MRI and PET scans are often used as the gold standard for diagnosis. Additionally, treatments such as cholinesterase inhibitors and other nervous system chemical regulators can be used for temporary relief; however, there is no single cure to prevent dementia. Finding a specific cure is especially challenging given that there are a variety of different causes for and subtypes of dementia; furthermore, some degree of deterioration in executive function and memory is a relatively normal aspect of human aging.

Nevertheless, the scientific community is working hard to develop novel treatment methods and ways to diagnose these conditions earlier than before. This has appreciated broad support; just this month, Congress announced a $100 million increase in Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding, recognizing this area as an “urgent public health challenge.” Although there is still a significant amount of work to be done, there is hope that sustained investment and interest by the research community will continue to make important strides in further treating and curing this devastating disease.