Over the last year several studies have found some relationship between diabetes and alzheimer's disease. They concluded that individuals with diabetes, both type 1 and 2, have a greater risk of age related dementia and decline in mental function similar to that seen in Alzheimer's patients.
In order to better understand these findings researchers at the Rush University Medical Center reviewed the autopsy reports of 233 persons enrolled in the Religious Orders Study.
The primary goal was to determine if any differences existed between the brains of diabetics and non-diabetics. In particular did diabetics display more change in the brain associated with Alzheimer's?
They also noted any occurance of cerebral infarctions, a particular type of damage to brain tissue that can cause declines in mental function and dementia. Cerebral infarctions are common in diabetics, due to the changes high blood sugar has on the blood vessels.
They found no difference between diabetics and non-diabetics when looking for changes associated with Alzheimer's disease. But a large difference was found between the two groups when looking at the incidence of cerebral infarctions.
Diabetics had more than double the risk of having a cerebral infarction compared to non-diabetics.
So perhaps the changes in mental decline and Alzheimer's like changes observed in previous studies of diabetic patients are due to cerebral infarctions and not Alzheimer's disease.
More research is needed to determine the relationships between each of these factors; diabetes, Alzheimer's, and cerebral infarctions.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on December 27, 2006 11:08 PM
