Blood sugar levels linked to dementia risk
Photo Courtesy: geripal.org
SEATTLE -- Higher blood sugar levels are associated with a higher risk of dementia, according to a new joint Group Health-University of Washington study. Diabetes is a known risk factor for dementia, but researchers found that higher glucose levels may even put people without diabetes at risk.
Scientists looked at more than 2,000 patients, most of whom did not have diabetes. They found an increased risk of dementia among participants with higher average glucose levels within the five previous years. The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
So, should this study lead people to eat less sugar? Not necessarily, according to an interview with one of the study's authors, Paul K. Crane, MD, MPH, in Science Daily. "Your body turns your food into glucose, so your blood sugar levels depend not only on what you eat but also on your individual metabolism -- how your body handles your food," Crane said.
Read more about the study here.