RESEARCH: Diabetes causes memory loss

Diabetes contributes to a significant decline of memory function among older adults, says a new research.

The study which was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, saw researchers examine results from four memory tests done from 2006 to 2012.

The tests were conducted on 950 older adults with diabetes and 3,469 elderly people without the disease.

Researchers explained that older adults with poorly managed diabetes are prone to episodic memory as elevated blood sugar worsens the memory and damages brain cells.

Colleen Pappas, lead study author and Aging researcher at the University of South Florida in Tampa, said: “We believe that the combination of diabetes and high blood sugar increases the chances of a number of health problems.

“Our study brings attention to the possibility that worsening memory may be one of them”, Pappas added.

The findings also revealed that if sugar level is kept in a healthy range, it could help maintain memory performance.

What you should know about diabetes

• Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases which is also known as Diabetes Mellitus (DM).
• It is a life-long disease that affects the way the body handles glucose, a kind of sugar, in your blood.
• Ways to detect presence of high blood sugar include frequent urination, increased thirst, and increased hunger.
• If diabetes is left untreated, it could result in complications like heart disease, kidney failure among others.
• Diabetes could be prevented through normal body weight, healthy diet, regular physical exercise and avoiding tobacco use.
• Okra consumption helps combat diabetes
• Animals also have diabetes and it is mostly found in dogs and cats.
• There are three but two major types of diabetes:

Type 1: Juvenile diabetes (unknown cause)

Type 2: adult-onset diabetes (excess weight)

Gestational diabetes (found in pregnant women)

An ounce of prevention, they say, is worth a pound of cure. Don’t be ignorant of your wellbeing.