The number of overweight and obese people in Germany has been increasing for years. The proportion of diabetes cases, for which obesity is a major risk factor, is also steadily rising. Studies have already shown that diabetes increases the likelihood of developing dementia. But do people without diabetes also have a higher risk of dementia if their blood sugar levels are permanently elevated?
Paul K. Crane of the University of Washington and his colleagues dedicated themselves to this question. They published their findings in 2013 in the journal The New England Journal of Medicine. Since then, further studies have also provided evidence of a link between sugar consumption and the risk of dementia.
Data from 2,067 participants were examined, including 232 diabetics.
Crane and his team wanted to find out how blood sugar levels influence the likelihood of developing dementia. To do this, they examined data from 2,067 women and men who were 65 years or older at the start of the study and had no dementia diagnosis. Among them were 232 diabetics. One of the requirements for study participation was that at least five blood sugar measurements had been taken before the start. Additionally, at least one follow-up examination had to occur within two years of entering the study.
In total, the researchers analyzed over 35,200 blood sugar and over 10,200 HbA1c measurements. The so-called HbA1c value, which is colloquially referred to as long-term blood sugar, allows conclusions to be drawn about the average blood sugar level over the past two to three months.
524 participants developed dementia
The researchers examined the participants' mental state development using an established dementia test procedure. In addition, they collected a series of personal and health-related data such as age, sex, education level, physical activity, blood pressure and blood pressure treatment, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and smoking.
Over a mean follow-up period of 6.8 years, 524 out of a total of 2,067 participants developed dementia. 74 of them had diabetes.
Dementia risk increases with rising blood sugar levels
Scientists found that in people without diabetes, a higher average blood sugar level in the preceding five years was associated with an increased risk of dementia. Their risk increased with rising blood sugar levels. Among participants with diabetes, those with the highest glucose levels also had an increased risk of dementia.
The results show, according to the researchers, that elevated blood sugar levels are an independent risk factor for dementia – regardless of whether diabetes is already present or not. „These data suggest that higher glucose levels can have detrimental effects on the aging brain,“ the authors state. „Our findings underscore the potential consequences of the development of obesity and diabetes and point to the need for measures to lower glucose levels.“
Here you can find the study:
Glucose Levels and Risk of Dementia (August 2013)
