Research links Diabetes to Alzheimer's disease

New research just released in the United States suggests that diabetes increases the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease and may speed dementia once it strikes.

Doctors have long suspected diabetes damaged blood vessels that supply the brain. But this new research is showing that the damage may start before a person is diagnosed with full-blown diabetes. It says the damage starts when the body begins to gradually lose its ability to regulate blood sugar.

"Right now we can't do much about the Alzheimer's disease pathology," Dr. Yaakov Stern told the Associated Press, adding that if a patient could control the conditions it would slow the disease.

There are about 18 million Type 2 diabetics in the U.S. who are considered to have at least two to three times a non-diabetic's risk of developing Alzheimer's. Type 2 diabetes often leads to heart disease and other conditions that kill before Alzheimer's typically strikes, in the 70s.

But experts suggest there is no reason for diabetics to panic, noting that genetics are still the prime risk factor for dementia.

However, the latest research strengthens the link, and has scientists asking if diabetes and its related "metabolic syndrome" increase risk solely by spurring brain changes that underlie Alzheimer's. They believe it might add an extra layer of injury to an already struggling brain.

While scientists are trying to figure out exactly what's going on, the research does point to some common-sense protections.

If you have diabetes:

• Closely follow your doctor's advice for controlling it
• Try to lower high cholesterol and blood pressure that can harm the brain's blood supply and exacerbate memory problems