People With Type 1 Diabetes Are Six Times More Likely to Develop Dementia Later in Life

A new study reveals that having type 1 diabetes is a health condition that increases a person's risk of developing dementia later in life.

The study, entitled "Association of Type 1 Diabetes and Hypoglycemic and Hyperglycemic Events and Risk of Dementia" published in the journal Neurology, found that having that health condition could increase the chances of developing dementia by six-fold.

Researchers said that those who have been brought to the emergency room or have spent time in the hospital for serious glycemic cases triggered by diabetes were more prone to have neurological conditions.

According to study author Dr. Rachel Whitmer of the University of California Davis School of Medicine, both high and low blood sugar levels are extremes of diabetes that could lead to coma and increased hospitalization, or worse, death.

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People With Type 1 Diabetes Are Six Times More Likely to Develop Dementia Later in Life, Study Reveals

Link Between Type 1 Diabetes and Dementia

The study has 2,821 participants who have type 1 diabetes. According to Best Life, the team noted who among the participants suffered either a low blood sugar level (hypoglycemia) or a high blood sugar level )hyperglycemia).

They followed the participants for seven years to know if they were diagnosed later on with dementia. At the end of the study, researchers recorded around 153 cases who developed dementia.

According to the findings, the majority of the participants who suffered hypoglycemia had an increased risk of developing dementia by 75%, while those who suffered hyperglycemia saw their risk doubled.

However, patients who suffered both hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events were six times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia compared to other participants who did not experience these events.

"Our findings suggest exposure to severe glycemic events may have long-term consequences on brain health and should be considered additional motivation for people with diabetes to avoid severe glycemic events throughout their lifetime," Whitmer said according to Best Life.

Moreover, Mayo Clinic explained that type 1 diabetes is a condition where little or no insulin is produced which could cause damage to the blood vessels, making it a risk factor for vascular dementia. This is a type of dementia that is caused by reduced or blocked blood flow to the brain.

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Early Onset of Type 2 Diabetes Increases Risk of Alzheimer's Disease

A separate study, entitled "Association Between Age at Diabetes Onset and Subsequent Risk of Dementia" published in JAMA, showed that early onset of type 2 diabetes increases the risk of having Alzheimer's disease.

According to The New York Times, researchers tracked diabetes diagnoses of over 10,000 participants who have did not have the disease yet during their selection for the study between 1985 to 1988.

Participants were followed up every four to five years until 2019 wherein researchers would take blood samples to evaluate blood sugar levels to see if they have developed type 2 diabetes, a form of diabetes that is often linked to obesity and an unhealthy diet.

At the end of the study, researchers concluded that each five-year onset of diabetes is linked to a 24% increased risk of developing dementia compared to people without diabetes.

However, the team noted that their results came from an observational study and therefore do not prove that diabetes causes dementia. Although they found a link between the two factors after controlling other factors that may affect the risk for dementia.