Mar 17, 2009 3:31 pm US/Eastern
Researchers Say Diabetes Has Link To Alzheimer's
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
If you have diabetes, the disease could affect your memory as you grow older.
Healthwatch reporter Kellye Lynn reports doctors are now making a connection between diabetes and Alzheimer's.
Diabetes is an illness that raises a person's risk for a host of health problems. Now, new research adds Alzheimer's disease to the list.
A pump is one of Sheila Matlak's best weapons against diabetes. The device offers a constant flow of insulin and helps her manage a condition she's had for more than 30 years.
"It affects everything you do--your physical activity, the foods you eat, mood swings, energy levels," said Matlak.
Now diabetics like Sheila have something else to consider. New research indicates diabetics could be more prone to Alzheimer's disease.
"Diabetes does damage some of the vessels particularly neuropathy, which is when your nerves and vessels are damaged in your feet. And now they're saying that damage has gone as far as even brain cells," said Kelly O'Connor, diabetes educator with Mercy Medical Center.
More than five million Americans have Alzheimer's, and there's growing evidence that Type 2 diabetes could be responsible. The 18 million Type 2 diabetics in the U.S. are believed to have two to three times the risk of developing Alzheimer's.
"I think it's horrendous because it's one more thing added to the mix that diabetes can do to you," said Matlak.
As blood sugar rises, brain functioning in Type 2 diabetics appears to slow long before symptoms are evident.
If you're diabetic, experts say don't panic. This study doesn't necessarily mean that you'll definitely develop Alzheimer's.
But O'Connor hopes it will serve as a wake-up call for diabetics to maintain decent blood sugar control and a healthy body weight.
"Maximize your intake of whole grains and low saturated fat foods," said O'Connor.
And if you're not diabetic, it's another reminder to follow that all too familiar advice: eat right and exercise.
One study of Alzheimer's patients showed those with a history of diabetes and high cholesterol experienced faster memory loss than those without.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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