Type 2 diabetes not only harms his heart, his kidneys or his eyes.His brain can also suffer a lot from this metabolic alteration that is associated with overweight and obesity.
Specifically, diabetes seems to have a close relationship with dementia, as several investigations have demonstrated that in diabetes patients the risk of developing Alzheimer's doubles.
When this association was discovered, it was thought that metabolic disease affected cognition due to the vascular damage associated.However, from a while to this part there are many evidences that point out that, in addition to this impact, diabetes "can also contribute to the pathophysiological process of Alzheimer's disease" regardless of its effect on blood vessels, as Juan explainsFortea, secretary of the study of behavior and dementia of the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN).
A work published this week in Neurology magazine provides more data on this double bond that joins diabetes and dementia.
The research, led by scientists from the US National Health Institutes, demonstrates that diabetes is not only associated with cerebral atrophy, but with the accumulation of the Tau protein insideAlzheimer's disease.
On the other hand, metabolic disease did not seem to favor the deposit of another of the proteins whose brain accumulation has been associated with neurodegenerative disease, the amyloid beta.
"Our findings suggest that the neurodegenerative effects of diabetes can be independent and possibly additional to those caused by Alzheimer's, that demand more studies that produce in the mechanisms involved.
To reach these conclusions, the researchers studied with image tests the brain of about 816 people with an average age of 74 years.Of these, 397 had mild cognitive damage, considered a precursor to dementia, 191 had Alzheimer's and 228 had no problems with cognition.Among all the patients analyzed, 124 also had type 2 diabetes.
"Diabetes and Alzheimer's are two of the greatest epidemics that society faces right now, so it is very interesting to know the mechanisms that relate them," says Fortea.
The aforementioned is not the only recent research that has yielded new data on dementia.Last week, Molecular Magazine Psychiatry published a work that ratified an already known relationship, which exists between overweight in the middle age with an early development of Alzheimer's.
Having an elevated body mass index (BMI) is associated with an early start of dementia, indicate the results of this research, which specifies the effects of excess weight.Each point of more in the BMI, shows the work, is associated with a start of the Alzheimer's 6.7 months before.
The researchers followed up for approximately 14 years to 1,394 individuals without cognitive problems, to which they submitted to neuropsychological evaluations every two years.In that period 142 people developed Alzheimer's, and when analyzing the data, the researchers verified that there was a clear relationship between the weight and an early beginning of the disease.
Although scientists have not been able to determine the causes that explain this relationship, they recommend maintaining adequate weight in the median age to contribute to delay the beginning of dementia.
"What is good for the heart is good for the brain. Therefore, we know that promoting what is known as healthy habits-Dieta healthy, exercise, avoid sedentary lifestyle, etc-- It is also beneficial for the brain.This is especially important in the average ages of life, because it is shown that presenting cardiovascular risk factors at this stage of life has much more impact than if this occurs at more advanced ages, "concludes Fortea.