Quitting smoking and controlling diabetes may reduce dementia risk

In a Dutch study, smoking and having diabetes are two modifiable risk factors that have been linked with build-up of calcium in the brain.

Hippocampal calcification is a build up of calcium in the hippocampus, an important area of the brain responsible for memory. Previous research suggests that hippocampal calcification may contribute to a greater risk of dementia which causes memory problems, and possible complication of diabetes. 



The lead author of the study, Dr Esther de Brouwer, a geriatrician at the University Medical Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands, said: "We know that calcifications in the hippocampus are common, especially with increasing age. However, we did not know if calcifications in the hippocampus related to cognitive function."

The researchers were able to assess changes in the hippocampus in people who had high blood pressure, diabetes and smoked by using a brain CT scan.

The results of cognitive tests and CT scans of 1,991 people were analysed. The average age of the participants was 78 years. 380 participants, representing 19 per cent of those taking part, showed hippocampal calcification. Three factors older age, diabetes and smoking were associated with an increased risk of hippocampal calcifications on CT scans.

Dr de Brouwer said: "We do think that smoking and diabetes are risk factors. In a recent histopathology study, hippocampal calcifications were found to be a manifestation of vascular disease. It is well known that smoking and diabetes are risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. It is, therefore, likely that smoking and diabetes are risk factors for hippocampal calcifications."

The two risk factors, diabetes and smoking are modifiable. Therefore, quitting smoking, or not smoking at all and gaining good control of diabetes, may each help reduce the risks of memory problems and dementia.

Link between diabetes and cognitive brain damage

One of the greatest reviews on the connection between blood sugar and brain perform has found that humans with prediabetes and diabetes experience worse long-time period cognitive decline than people with typical blood sugar levels. The results underscore simply how damaging impaired blood sugar is for overall health.



Earlier studies have linked diabetes with reduced brain function, but this is the biggest to seek out an instantaneous relationship between A1c blood phases and threat of long-time period cognitive decline. The A1c scan (referred to as the HbA1c experiment ) reflects natural blood sugar for the previous two to three months. Diabetes is commonly outlined by using an A1c level of 6.5% or above, the similar of 126 mg of blood sugar per deciliter. An effect of between 5.7 and 6.4% is viewed prediabetic, which shows high hazard for establishing diabetes.

The study concerned about 5,000 people in the UK, ordinary age 66, including humans with typical blood sugar phases and people with levels falling in the prediabetic to diabetic variety. Cognitive operate was evaluated on the establishing of the gain knowledge of and reassessed every two years over an eight 12 months span to monitor alterations in memory, govt mind function (corresponding to decision-making speed), and overall cognitive operate.

The outcome showed that those with prediabetes or diabetes had greatly reduced cognitive scores over the study period, including reminiscence and processing speed and all indicators of extra fast cognitive decline. The results held genuine even after accounting for motives like smoking, alcohol consumption, ldl cholesterol levels, depression, excessive blood strain, and demographics like age, intercourse and marital fame.

The researchers found that all the contributors csuse some stage of cognitive decline (usual influence of growing old), however prediabetes and diabetes made the onset of decline come rapid and the consequences steeper than for humans with typical blood sugar.



The fairly chilling part of these outcome is less concerning the effects of diabetes (which can be already well evidenced), and more concerning the results of being even in the vicinity of diabetes.

The findings show a linear correlation between circulating HbA1c levels and cognitive decline, despite diabetic.

The excellent news is that getting ahead of blood sugar irregularities prior could probably slow down the price of cognitive decline.
The findings recommend that interventions that extend diabetes onset, as good as management procedures for blood sugar control, might help alleviate the development of subsequent cognitive decline over the lengthy-time period, said the researchers.

LINK BETWEEN DIABETES, HEART DISEASE AND BLOOD VESSELS DAMAGE

Coronary or health disease and vein disease are risky diseases for some individuals who don't have their diabetes under proper control.


It is very important for diabetes people to keep their blood sugar level under proper control because they were twice as liable to have heart issues and strokes as
individuals who don't have the condition.

Diabetes Neuropathy: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment of Nerve Damage

One of the consequences or complications of uncontrolled diabetes or high blood glucose or sugar level is a condition known as diabetic neuropathy or nerve damage.

Diabetic neuropathy is a condition that must be treated promptly to prevent total damage of