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New insights
Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia . However, it has not been known to date whether an elevated glucose level increases the risk of dementia in people who do not have diabetes . Scientists at the US National Institute of Health have now gained new insights in a long-term study.
The study included 2, 067 patients for almost seven years. Of these, 839 men and 1, 228 women with an average age of 76 years were represented. Of these 2, 067 patients, 232 are clearly diagnosed with diabetes, while 1, 835 are not diabetics .
The result was alarming. The researchers found that the risk of developing dementia increases with rising blood sugar levels. The diabetes patients, who had an average of 190 milligrams of glucose per deciliter, were 40 percent more at risk than those with a glucose concentration of 160.
But more exciting is the following finding: Among patients without diabetes, but with elevated glucose levels, the risk of dementia also increased. Non-diabetics with a mean of 115 milligrams per deciliter were 18 percent more at risk than patients with a glucose concentration of 100 milligrams.
Leader in the long-term study Paul K. Crane and his colleagues confirm with the results that risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or a high BMI value also pose a threat to the aging brain.
In the future, Crane says, however, further research should be carried out to see whether reducing the level of glucose on the other hand also reduces dementia risk. As long as this study is only an "observational study".
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