Diabetes Leads to Manifestation of Cognition Declination

Type 2 Diabetes Has a Potent Risk of Cognitive Decline

Our body runs on energy and the primary source of this energy is supplied by glucose to every cell in the human body. Every organ functions tirelessly to keep our body running smoothly and it’s the brain that issues commands to different organs in the human body. Being the command center, the brain controls every action including how we emote, remember, and learn new stuff. Our brain encompasses innumerable neurons which increase the energy demand, and hence, a considerable portion of the glucose is directed to the brain. Only then, we achieve full capability to think, act accordingly, and complete chores successfully.
 
Too Much or Too Little, Both Cause trouble!
 
But, simply because the brain depends on glucose for energy, it doesn’t mean that we perform better when more and more energy is supplied to the brain. Hyperglycemia can cause stress to our brain and this remains unseen immediately as the effects of high blood sugar levels happen in due course. Very high blood sugar levels can impair the blood vessels carrying oxygen-rich blood to the brain thereby resulting in insufficient blood supply which causes brain death. Termed as ‘brain atrophy,’  such a problem can affect cognition and memory capabilities causing vascular dementia.
 
Lack of sufficient sugar levels immediately stops the oxygen supply to the brain and the consequences are seen immediately unlike hyperglycemia which takes time to cause effects on the brain. Low sugar levels in the body cause symptoms such as dizziness, irritability, shakiness, and even trouble with talking and walking. Extremely low blood sugar levels can cause debilitating consequences including passing out, seizures, or even coma.
 
Accelerated Brain Aging & Cognitive Decline
 
Diabetes doesn’t come alone but leaves lasting impressions everywhere on the human body. The condition has the potential to affect the heart, kidneys, foot, eyes, oral health, and without any doubt, the central commanding system of our body—the brain. Almost 7% of the population worldwide suffer from type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and such patients are at an all-time risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia. Presently, there are more than 40 million individuals suffering from dementia and with the numbers expected to increase two-folds every decade, it is soon cross 100 million by 2050. AD is the most commonly seen dementia problem among people followed by vascular dementia.
 
There have been research happening continuously to explore the underlying connection between dementia and diabetes. A very big analysis of 14 studies that included more than 2 million individuals and covering millions of dementia cases across Asia, Africa, and Europe clearly found that diabetes increased the risk of dementia by 60% with a 40% risk associated with non-vascular dementia.
 
A huge cohort of human studies from the UK Biobank show that the T2DM accelerates normal brain aging and induces marked cognitive decline, especially in the executive functioning and the processing speed. Data obtained from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care-Kungsholmen clearly had concrete evidence showing the impact of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes on cognitive decline.
 
There have also been studies analyzing the link between cognitive disease and type 1 diabetes. Results show that individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are at an increased risk of dementia compared to those without diabetes. One study result showed a 93% increased risk of dementia in those with type 1 diabetes. Another study on older adults who were hospitalized for either hyper- or hypo-glycemia were at a higher risk of dementia but those who suffered from both highs and lows were at a 6-times higher risk of dementia later in life. Impaired cognitive flexibility, reduced attention span, and decrease in thinking speed are some of the effects of T1DM.
 
Though both types, Type 1 and Type 2, had higher risks of dementia, T2DM showed 50% more risk for dementia comparatively.　
 
Conclusion
 
We have study results showing that type 2 diabetes increases the risk of dementia and cognitive decline but the awareness regarding this link among individuals is extremely poor.  Clinical interventions and recommendations for the same are also poorly available. For T2DM, incorporating rigorous lifestyle changes along with dietary modifications with the help of a reputed nutritionist/dietitian benefits the individual.
 
Individuals should focus more on staying on a healthy weight range, reducing blood sugar levels, ensuring that cholesterol levels are below recommended ranges, eating healthy food, exercising regularly, and sleeping well. Clinicians should focus on strictly controlling blood glucose levels to ensure that the patient’s cognitive skills remain intact.