Managing Blood Sugar and Alzheimer’s Risk

blood ‍Sugar Spikes Linked to Increased Alzheimer’s Risk

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias ⁤impact approximately seven million Americans, ‍but scientists are still⁣ investigating the causes and prevention methods.⁤ New research suggests poorly controlled blood sugar may be a contributing factor.

A study‌ published in Diabetes, Obesity, and ‍Metabolism found ‍a link between ​higher blood sugar spikes after meals and a greater⁤ risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. “We are slowly piecing together the mechanism that links [blood sugar] to brain health,” says Andrew ⁣Mason, PhD, lead study‍ author and a researcher at the University of Liverpool.

“Our research suggests that keeping blood sugar stable may be good not only for diabetes prevention, ⁢but also for‌ brain health in the longer term,” adds Vicky Garfield, PhD, a study coauthor and genetic epidemiologist also at the University of Liverpool in England.

Genetic Analysis Linked Blood Sugar Spikes to Alzheimer’s risk

Researchers analyzed genetic data from more than 350,000 people ⁤between⁢ the ages of 40 and 69 ⁤who participated in ‌the UK Biobank, ‍a ⁤long-term biomedical database. They focused on genes related to:

• Fasting glucose (blood sugar levels after at⁢ least eight ⁤hours without food)
• Insulin, a hormone ⁣that⁤ helps move ‌sugar from the blood into cells
• Blood sugar⁢ levels two hours after eating

Using a technique called Mendelian randomization, the analysis suggested⁢ that individuals with a lifelong predisposition to higher glucose levels two hours after eating had a 69 percent higher ⁤ relative risk of​ developing Alzheimer’s dementia ​compared to those without the genetic risk. It’s critically important to note that ​this doesn’t mean 69 out of 100 ⁢people will develop alzheimer’s; actual risk⁤ still depends on age and other factors.