I was reading on Google this morning… I know reading Google is a big mistake when it comes to medical information, that both T1 and T2 have a higher risk for Dementia when we get older do to being diabetic.
I read T1 have a really high risk.
And that the longer you’ve had Diabetes the more % you have as a risk.
I just don’t buy it…
I mean I was told by a T1 that if we keep our A1C under 7% then
" Diabetes is the cause of NOTHING!" and that we won’t have complications from Diabetes from having lower A1C’s.
But then I also read most of the studies I read were OBSERVATIONAL so they really cant say Diabetes causes Dementia or Alz. If their Observational then why even publish them if you cant say that it does or doesn’t cause memory problems?
We have all learned as diabetics that there are no absolutes regarding our treatments and potential outcomes. What works for one, is a disaster for another, especially where there are so many diverse factors including age, genetics, lifestyle, and diet. If you are worried about early dementia or Alzheimers, there are lots of doctors that work with diabetics and have online options, courses, seminars, and remedies to help deal with these issues.
The motivations for publishing data with limited to no knowledge are probably as diverse and elusive as these conditions themselves.
I’d rather have studies that are preliminary than no info at all. At a minimum, it can help motivate diabetics to keep their bgs as close to normal bg as possible.
I found this article helpful. My Mom is type 2, with Alzheimer’s last 20 years, now almost 90.
This article suggests the connection is higher for Type 2, and results from higher BG levels that effect brain cells.
There are too many reasons why one would think this could be true, considering the effect diabetes can have on neurology, brain morphology, and aspects of heart disease. I’d be more surprised, gratefully, if diabetes did not have negative effects, but there is no level at which it does not cause some degree of harm, since the absence of naturally occurring hormones and drugs used to compensate for the lack of them will have effects.
Obviously, the information passed to you by word of mouth is unreliable, as is much of what passes in written forums. You have to focus on the people that are really good source of information, and if so inclined, read a great deal about to take care of your health. In my life, I have never heard of, nor thought it possible, not to have complications at some point. There must be some, but they are a rarity.
No, it is a higher proportion than the baseline risk.
Hypothetically, if you make it to the average 80 year-old group, at which time the likelihood in the entire population is ~15%, then the likelihood a diabetic might have AD is 50%-60% higher over that normal value, about 24%, and looking at those over 85, about 50%. Also, since that higher likelihood is already baked into the normal average, both would be a bit lower than the straight calculation.
Reference:
More than 1 in 9 people (11.3%) age 65 and older has Alzheimer’s disease. The percentage of people with Alzheimer’s increases with age: 5.3% of people age 65 to 74, 13.8% of people age 75 to 84, and 34.6% of people age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s.
I am a type 1 who was dx in 1959. At 70 my brain seems to be working very well. My memory isn’t quite as good as it once was, but when I compare myself with others my age, the small memory lapses, seem comparable.
I am not going to read any studies, because I don’t want the worry. I will continue to run a very low A1c with an excellent time in range. Of course exercise and a healthy diet are extremely important.
I kind of feel like I have dementia when I forget to change my set before I leave the house, or I leave my phone at home.
I forget if I bolused fora meal, if I didn’t have a pump I really wouldn’t know because it seems like I even do it in my sleep.
@jamesigoe “Obviously, the information passed to you by word of mouth is unreliable, as is much of what passes in written forums”
So basically what I read could be considered BS in some sort of way?
I mean I do have to factor in that it was on Google after all. And quite a few sites stated that risk factor.
I was just diagnosed last year as a T2 at 36. I am 37 now.
My A1C is low too 5.5 or 5.6 something like that… I really need to watch my carbs because I fear it going back up. I try to stay away from the sweets but darn it sometimes I just cant help it. But when I do I try to factor it in with a meal. Say we had something baked thats homemade for after dinner I will eat it after dinner and then nothing else.
I ate less than 30 carbs a day for 11 yrs. For the last 4 yrs I have followed the advice of the guys on the Mastering Diabetes Website. I eat about 275 healthy carbs a day. Lots of fruit, vegetables, potatoes, quinoa, oatmeal etc. I also eat salmon but no other meat, eggs, or dairy. I enjoy this way of eating very much. My last alc was 4.8.
To simplify, one should always be skeptical of the material and the source. But then it also depends on your depth of knowledge and drive to self educate.
For me, no source is sacrosanct. I trust my doctors, and some are really up there in terms of respectability, but knowledge gets stale, information changes, etc. I would never ignore my doctors, but I always check independently. As for written material, even peer reviewed studies in vaunted journals need to be taken within the context of all material, not just the single study. Even things that on the face seem positive, e.g., reductions in heart attacks or brain deterioration illnesses from statins, can be true at large scale, but might have little impact on you as an individual.
As long as I’ve been a health-oriented T1, since my mid-twenties, about 8 years after my initial diagnosis, one rule was focusing on preventing the things that would kill me, or just diminish my life. It meant exercise, good diet, emotional well-being, accomplishment, and good relationships, more of less.
Mental decline with age is no different. Few of us are super-agers, those that have little mental decline. Like compensating for diabetes, there are tactics to compensate for the loss, exercise is one, eating well matters. learning seems important, as is getting enough sleep, and so is keeping socially active. Add to that is preserving your hearing. Certainly, taking care of your diabetes is another. No one wants to decline, but these activities can make for a happier life, and are not just a preventive.
I’m more worried about my risk factor of getting dementia or Alzheimer’s from my family history than I am from diabetes. I had 2 great grandparents who were affected, one with Alzheimer’s and one with dementia. Just do what you can to stay healthy and control your diabetes and you will most likely have similar outcomes as your peers.
Remember most of the studies we have were done on an older generation of diabetics who experienced very poor control through the majority of their lives. While many of us on this forum also had poor control in our earlier years we took advantage of new technology and information as it became available to us to better treat our diabetes resulting in fewer complications and longer, healthier lifespans.
Also, it doesn’t take into account all the positive lifestyle choices many of us make that aren’t taken up by most people. How many people fully engage in the activities that prevent mental decline, that is exercise, eating well, learning, sleep, and socializing.
@Firenza “Remember most of the studies we have were done on an older generation of diabetics who experienced very poor control through the majority of their lives. While many of us on this forum also had poor control in our earlier years we took advantage of new technology and information as it became available to us to better treat our diabetes resulting in fewer complications and longer, healthier lifespans.”
You are prob right about that. I never thought about these studies being done on the older generations that didn’t have what we have now.
@jamesigoe “Also, it doesn’t take into account all the positive lifestyle choices many of us make that aren’t taken up by most people. How many people fully engage in the activities that prevent mental decline, that is exercise, eating well, learning, sleep, and socializing.”
I would say I do most of those:
I exercise,
Sleep, ’
Socialize ( visiting family and having a cup of coffee with them and sit and chat) Or just go up to their house and talk for like 2 hours. I go to Church.
I get out and go to Walmart / grocery store and walk around ( more exercise lol)
I test my blood a lot more than I did before.
Eating Healthy — I am trying on that. I am eating more veggies ( nothing wrong with canned) I am working on trying to cut down on pasta. I watch portion sizes. I look for alternatives like Wheat Tortilla’s instead of white. etc.
@jamesIgoe “as is getting enough sleep, and so is keeping socially active. Add to that is preserving your hearing. Certainly, taking care of your diabetes is another. No one wants to decline, but these activities can make for a happier life, and are not just a preventive.”
Ahh hearing sigh I have lost some hearing due to bad ear infections back in HS. The ear infections were so bad that my ear closed up and had green stuff running out of it.
Plus I use to listen to music kinda loud but I’ve stopped that.
I got my ears checked back in 2012 and they said I had Mild Moderate hearing loss ( I was in between 2 categories).
I’ve noticed I kinda do say HUH or what did he or she say if they’re in another room or far away from me or if they mumble.
