What is Type 3 Diabetes?
How elevated blood sugar can lead to “brain diabetes.
It may be hard to imagine a connection between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. But it is real and it’s so strong that some experts are now referring to it as type 3 diabetes or brain diabetes.
It is the progression from type 2 diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia marked by memory deficits and a dramatic decline in cognitive function.
Recent research suggests that women with type 2 diabetes have a 19% greater risk of a certain type known as vascular dementia, (which is caused by problems with blood supply to the brain) than men do.
Not everyone who has type 2 diabetes will develop Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, or any other form of dementia, and there are many people who have Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia who do not have diabetes.
Taking steps to control your diabetes with medication and lifestyle changes may help reduce your risk of developing any form of cognitive impairment.
Here are some steps to protect your brain and your body from the harmful effects of diabetes:
- Exercise regularly
- Eat a healthy diet
- Manage your body weight
- Maintain tight blood sugar control
- Get plenty of good quality sleep
- Manage stress
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of progressive dementia that effects more than 5 million people. One link to Alzheimer’s disease that researchers are exploring is diabetes. There have been several studies that have connected the two diseases together. Some researchers have begun to call Alzheimer’s disease ‘type 3 diabetes”.
Researchers concluded that perhaps Alzheimer’s is a brain specific type of diabetes, which they termed ‘type 3 diabetes’.
Although at this time the evidence for Alzheimer’s disease as a third type of diabetes remains inconclusive. It is important for people to continue to factor in their lifestyle choices when looking toward the future to safeguard against ailments such as Alzheimer’s disease.
