Researchers in Australia have found that even those now
considered normal are at greater risk of the brain shrinkage that comes
with type-2 diabetes and is evident in dementia patients.
“We
found that even within the normal range, and in people without
diabetes, higher sugar levels were associated with greater shrinking of
the hippocampus,” said Nicolas Cherbuin, head of the brain lab at the
Australian National University in Canberra.
“If these
findings are replicated in other cohorts, norms for blood sugar levels
and diabetes may need to be re-examined.” Over four years Cherbuin
studied 249 people aged 60-64 whose blood sugar was in the normal range
of 4-6.1 millimoles per litre.
He found that those in
the top of the range were more likely to have loss of brain volume in
the hippocampus and the amygdala than those in the lower blood-glucose
range. The hippocampus and the amygdala are important to memory and
cognitive skills.
Type-2 diabetes is often put down
to poor lifestyle choices and the same goes for high blood sugar.
To
ward off brain shrinkage, eat well and get fit — and try and avoid the
stressful things in life.
“Lack of exercise and
chronic stress also affect blood sugar levels and a healthy lifestyle
should include regular exercise and avoiding chronic stress,” Cherbuin
said.
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