Diabetes in Mid-Life Linked to Increased Risk of
Alzheimer’s Disease as Seniors
Follows study saying diabetes is one-third of risk
for dementia in senior citizens
April
10, 2008 – Men who develop diabetes in mid-life appear to significantly
increase their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a
long-term study published in the April 9, 2008, online issue of
Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Another study reported yesterday in SeniorJournal.com indicates that
diabetes accounts for one-third of the risk for dementia.
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“Our results have important public health
implications given the increasing numbers of people developing diabetes
and the need for more powerful interventions,” said study author Elina
Rönnemaa, MD, with Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden.
The study involved 2,269 men in Sweden who
underwent glucose testing at age 50 to test for diabetes, which is
caused by abnormal insulin levels. During an average follow up of 32
years, 102 participants were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, 57 with
vascular dementia and 235 with other types of dementia or cognitive
impairment.
The study found that the men with low insulin
secretion capacity at age 50 were nearly one-and-a-half times more
likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than people without insulin
problems.
|
Small
Vessel Injury from Hypertension or Diabetes May Lead to Dementia
One-third of risk for dementia attributed to small
vessel disease in autopsy study
 April
9, 2008 – A large autopsy study of senior citizens who had lived in the
Seattle area has found that as many as one-third of those who had
dementia before they died also had small vessel damage in their brains –
the type of cumulative injury that can result from hypertension or
diabetes. The researchers say it suggests this accounts for a third of
the risk for dementia.
Read
more...
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The risk remained significant regardless of blood
pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and education.
“Our results suggest a link between insulin
problems and the origins of Alzheimer’s disease and emphasize the
importance of insulin in normal brain function,” said Rönnemaa.
“It’s possible that insulin problems damage blood
vessels in the brain, which leads to memory problems and Alzheimer’s
disease, but more research is needed to identify the exact mechanisms.”
The study also found the association between
diabetes and risk of Alzheimer’s disease was strongest in people who did
not have the APOE4 gene, which is known to increase the risk of
Alzheimer’s disease.
Rönnemaa says this shows that insulin problems are
an important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease when the high risk gene
is missing.
The study was supported by grants from Uppsala
University Hospital and the Swedish Research Council.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association
of more than 21,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is
dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A
neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing,
treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as
stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple
sclerosis. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology,
visit www.aan.com.
