MayoClinic Highlights Possible Diabetes And Alzheimer's Connection

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Diabetes
Article Date: 05 May 2007 - 2:00 PDT

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An article on MayoClinic.com sheds light on the possible connection between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease and offers advice on how to reduce the risk of getting both conditions.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, a general term for a group of conditions that gradually destroy brain cells and lead to progressive decline in mental function. More than 5 million people in the United States have Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers have identified several ways in which the abnormal insulin and blood sugar levels in diabetes could promote the brain damage that causes dementia. They include:

-- Inflammation and blood vessel damage related to high blood sugar
-- Less insulin in the brain, which results in less glucose to nourish brain cells
-- Increased production of certain proteins that clump in the brain

Reducing the risk

Weight loss and exercise can help prevent type 2 diabetes. In fact, people who have pre-diabetes -- a precursor to type 2 diabetes -- can cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half by losing 5 percent of their body weight and exercising 30 minutes a day. In addition to reducing the risk of diabetes and Alzheimer's, these lifestyle changes also offer some protection from heart attacks and strokes.

The Alzheimer's Center on MayoClinic.com discusses other theories on how to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

About MayoClinic.com

Launched in 1995 and now visited about 9 million times a month, this award-winning Web site offers health information, self-improvement, and disease management tools to empower people to manage their health. Produced by a team of Web professionals and medical experts, MayoClinic.com gives users access to the experience and knowledge of the more than 2,000 physicians and scientists of Mayo Clinic. MayoClinic.com offers intuitive, easy-to-use tools such as "Symptom Checker" and "First-Aid Guide" for fast answers about health conditions ranging from common to complex; as well as more in-depth sections on over 25 common diseases and conditions, healthy living articles, videos, animations and features such as "Ask a Specialist" and "Drug Watch". Users can sign up for a free weekly e-newsletter, "Housecall," which provides the latest health information from Mayo Clinic.

www.mayoclinic.com.