Did you know that Type 3 diabetes can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease? While studies are still going on, researchers found that several diabetes factors can lead to Alzheimer’s disease, especially insulin resistance, tau protein entanglement, inflammation, and neural communication. When diabetes causes insulin resistance or insulin dysfunction factors that impact the brain and cause Alzheimer’s disease it’s called type 3 diabetes. But the good news is, you can prevent Alzheimer’s disease by managing your blood sugar levels. Learn what is the connection between type 3 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease and what you should do to prevent them. Log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.
The link between type 3 diabetes and Alzheimer’s
Researchers found that several factors can establish a connection between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. These factors occur when there is a problem with blood sugar control that can start affecting your memory and thinking, which can increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. These factors include:
- Insulin resistance:
When your cells are not able to use insulin the way they should, blood sugar levels start to rise which can lead to diabetes and also affects your brain in these ways:
- Your cells do not get the energy they need, and as a result, your body can’t work properly.
- Over time your blood sugar levels go up which produces harmful fatty deposits in blood vessels. This can either reduce or block the blood flow to the brain which impacts its ability to function.
- Too much insulin production can also create an imbalance of chemicals found in the brain.
These effects on the brain are so strong that some scientists believe that Alzheimer’s is related to insulin resistance and should be called type 3 diabetes.
- Tangled tau protein:
Your cells need to constantly move to supply food or other items along pathways like railroad tracks. To maintain those railroad tracks a protein called tau helps to make sure that tracks run into, out of, and go through the cells in straight rows.
However, in case you have Alzheimer’s, tau protein gets messed up, which causes these tracks to fall apart and cells to die because they are not able to move stuff when needed.
Some studies show that people with diabetes experience more tangled tau in their brains which can lead to more dying cells in their brains and can further lead to dementia.
- Inflammation:
Diabetes can increase the risk of having a heart attack or stroke if left untreated, or poorly treated. And high blood sugar levels can trigger inflammation. Besides, high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels too, which can lead to Alzheimer’s. And inflammation can also make your cells more insulin resistant, especially if you are obese.
- Blocked neural communication:
It has been found that high blood sugar can increase the production of the protein called beta-amyloid. Diabetes and higher production of this protein can lead to the protein sticking between nerve cells in your brain and blocking communication signals. As nerve cells are not able to communicate, they are not able to control the parts they once controlled, which is a main trait of Alzheimer’s.
While these are factors that can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s if you have diabetes, if you manage diabetes properly with treatment and lifestyle, you can easily reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
What can you do?
If you have diabetes, the best way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other complications is to manage your blood sugar levels with treatment and lifestyle changes. Although, some studies show that keeping your A1C below 7% may keep your brain healthy.
Lifestyle changes like eating a healthy balanced diet and exercising regularly are the best way to keep your cells using insulin better and help to manage your blood sugar levels, and also prevent too much insulin in your blood and brain. Physical activity also increases the oxygen-rich blood to your brain, which lowers the risk of heart disease as well.
And one study shows that using metformin medications such as Fortamet, Glucophage, Glumetza, and Riomet can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia more than those who took other diabetes drugs. But still, the study is limited and needs more evidence to make it a vital option in diabetes treatment to prevent Alzheimer’s.
Type 3 diabetes means that insulin resistance or insulin-like dysfunction causes Alzheimer’s disease. While researchers find several factors that can link diabetes with Alzheimer’s disease, still more research is needed to understand their connection. However, if you want to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, you need to manage your blood sugar levels with treatment and make healthy lifestyle changes to keep yourself healthy.
Want to learn more about type 3 diabetes diagnosis and treatment options? Call us on 718-DORAL-55 or 1-347-384-5690 to get answers to your queries or pay us a visit at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11212. And if you have diabetes or have its symptoms, come to us for diagnosis and treatment, we have the best endocrinologists and diabetes specialists to help you throughout the process.
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