Blood Sugar and Brain Shrinkage

Blood Sugar and Brain Shrinkage,People whose blood sugar is on the high end of 'the normal range' may be at greater risk of brain shrinkage, according to new research.

The Australian-based research suggests a higher blood sugar level could lead to the kind of mental health issues that occur with aging and diseases such as dementia.

Researchers at the Australian National University in Canberra say this could lead to a revolution in the understanding of how blood sugar levels affect the brain, and how diabetes is defined.

The new research, published today in the medical journal Neurology, involved 249 people age 60 to 64, who had blood sugar in the normal range as defined by the World Health Organization.

The participants had brain scans at the start of the study and again an average of four years later.

Those with higher fasting blood sugar levels within the normal range - below 6.1 mmol/l - were more likely to have a loss of brain volume in the areas of the hippocampus and the amygdala, areas that are involved in memory and cognitive skills, than those with lower blood sugar levels.


After controlling for age, high blood pressure, smoking, alcohol use and other factors, the researchers found that blood sugar on the high end of normal accounted for six to 10 percent of the brain shrinkage.

Study author Nicolas Cherbuin said: 'Numerous studies have shown a link between type 2 diabetes and brain shrinkage and dementia, but we haven't known much about whether people with blood sugar on the high end of normal experience these same effects.'

A fasting blood sugar level of 10.0 mmol/l (180 mg/dL) or higher is defined as diabetes and a level of 6.1 mmol/l (110 mg/dL) is considered impaired, or prediabetes.

'These findings suggest that even for people who do not have diabetes, blood sugar levels could have an impact on brain health,' Cherbuin said.

'More research is needed, but these findings may lead us to re-evaluate the concept of normal blood sugar levels and the definition of diabetes.'

source: dailymail