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Study Finds Link Between Diabetes And Dementia

If you want to take care of your mind, the best way to start is by taking care of your body.

According to a recent study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, adults who have type II diabetes are significantly more likely than the average adult to develop dementia later in life.

 Diabetics who failed to manage their diabetes properly had the worst results, suffering a 20% higher than average rate of cognitive decline. Pre-diabetics and diabetics who managed their disease properly also suffered, albeit to a lesser degree.

The study began in 1987, when researchers selected nearly 16,000 middle-aged adults and began monitoring their health and cognitive ability. Over the course of the next twenty-six years, the researchers conducted five additional physical and mental assessments of their subjects. They concluded that diabetes caused the mind to decline five years faster than it does during normal aging. The close association between elevated blood sugar and dementia has been termed Type II Diabetes.

Other health organizations have recently come to similar conclusions. A 2012 study by the Mayo Clinic, for example, concluded that adults who eat high-carb or high-sugar diets – the kind of diets that lead to diabetes – are four times as likely as other adults to develop cognitive disabilities.

Preventing Diabetes And Dementia

Want to reduce your risk of diabetes and dementia? The following steps will help you improve your mental and physical health:

  • Exercise More: In addition to helping you lose weight, exercise increases your body's sensitivity to insulin, making it easier to manage blood sugar. The most effective exercises to prevent diabetes combine aerobics and resistance training.

  • Lose Weight: If you're overweight, every pound you lose makes you less likely to develop diabetes. Replacing processed food with real, whole food, exercising better portion control, and replacing sodas and sugary beverages with water and tea are easy ways to achieve this. Your body has a more difficult time breaking whole grains down into glucose, meaning your blood sugar doesn't go up as quickly when you eat them.

  • If you smoke, stop: In addition to causing lung cancer, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease, tobacco also increases your risk of developing diabetes.

  • Alcohol: Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of diabetes. Women should limit themselves to having no more than one drink per day on average, and men no more than two. Antioxidants in red wine, like resveratrol, may be especially beneficial.

Looking to maximize your physical and mental well-being? Matrix Age Management can help you develop a comprehensive plan to lose weight, exercise more, and gain more confidence and energy. For more information, contact us today.

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