Having a chronic illness is a huge strain on your wellness in itself, but unfortunately each illness also tends to come with its own list of health concerns. This is because when there is one weakness in an area of your wellbeing, other areas are often affected too. Diabetes is one such disease, where sufferers are at increased risk of a whole host of other diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes is the seventh highest cause of death in the United States, according to a new survey, and there is now known to be a strong link between dementia and low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia). Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco have published a new study showing that this link can lead to a dangerous spiral where low blood sugar can lead to diabetes, which can then lead to mental deterioration in the patient.
The reason for this is that the brain is known to use glucose as its primary source of energy. When glucose drops to low levels in the blood, the brain’s function becomes impaired, and at extreme levels of hypoglycaemia, neuronal damage may occur.
Diabetes is a condition where low blood sugar is common, as the body fails to produce enough insulin to regulate the blood sugar. This can often mean that getting enough glucose to the brain can be very difficult for diabetics. The brain is thus starved of energy, possibly causing neurological problems such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
The relationship is also thought to be mutual – those with low blood sugar were seen to have associated with dementia, and those with dementia were found to have episodes of severe hypoglycaemia. The older an adult becomes, the more that the low blood sugar is able to do damage to the brain, and that is why dementia often occurs at an older age.
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