How Diabetes Harms The Brain
TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health. When blood sugar levels start to climb in diabetes, a number of body systems are harmed—and that list includes the brain, since studies have linked diabetes with a higher risk of stroke and dementia. Now, a new study published in the journal Neurology reports that changes in blood vessel activity in the brains of diabetics may lead to drops in cognitive functions and their ability to perform daily activities. Dr. Vera Novak, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and her colleagues followed a group of 65 older people. About half had type 2 diabetes, and half did not. After two years, the diabetic patients had lower scores on cognitive tests compared to when they began, while people without diabetes showed little change on the tests. MORE: The Strange Way a Diabetes Drug May Help Skin Scars What drove the decline, says Novak, were changes in the brains of the diabetic patients. Diabetes can cause blood vessels to be less responsive to the ebb and flow of demand in different parts of the brain. Normally, flexible vessels will swell slightly to increase blood flow and oxygen to areas that are more intensely active, such as regions involved in memory or higher reasoning during intellectual tasks. But unchecked blood sugar can make these vessels less malleable and therefore less responsive. “When doing any task, from cognition to moving your fingers, you need to increase blood flow to that specific area of the brain,” says Novak. “With diabetes, however, that vasodilation ability is reduced, so you have fewer resources to perform any task.” MORE: Statins May Seriously Increase Diabetes Risk In the study, Novak measured the changes in the flexibility of the blood v Continue reading >>
The Truth About Pre-diabetes And How Common It Is
Many of us think we live somewhat healthy enough to avoid the risks of developing diabetes. However, our modern food culture and sedentary lifestyles do not allow us to take proper care of our bodies. According to the Center for Disease Control, over 86 million people have prediabetes, the precursor to diabetes. This is equivalent to 1 in every 3rd American with the gap quickly decreasing over the next 5 years. . Many people live with prediabetes for many years without realizing since they often experience no obvious symptoms. Some may develop dark, thin skin patches on their neck, knees, knuckles, armpits, and elbows which are signs of prediabetes. A little extra fat around the abdomen can also be a sign of prediabetes. Although there are various factors which can easily lead to the development of prediabetes, there is insufficient awareness regarding how the impact of our daily lifestyle affects our health. In fact, an estimated 90% of people with prediabetes are simply unaware they have it. What is Insulin Resistance (also called Pre-Diabetes)? When the glucose (a.k.a., sugar) is detected in the blood, the pancreas will release insulin. Insulin will bind to glucose and deliver the glucose to all of the organs which need the glucose for energy. The problem is when the production of glucose in the blood excesses the body’s cells demand for glucose, the cells will resist the effects of insulin. The insulin will bind to the blood glucose but has no home to go to. The pancreas must also keep pumping out more insulin to keep up with the continued demand of excess blood sugar. Eventually, the pancreas becomes tired and can no longer keep up with the high insulin demand. At this point, the insulin level in the bloodstream begins to decrease causing the blood sugar to no lo Continue reading >>
Diabetes And A Foggy Brain
“Today was embarrassing at work” said my 59 year-old husband Don, after he got home from work. “Why?” I asked. “I just couldn’t think today. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t remember things that I was told to do.” So I learned this week that my husband is having clarity of mind issues, a foggy brain! He now carries a tablet and pen with him. “I’m really afraid to drive” he said. I just don’t remember where I was going or what I was going to pick up for parts for the job and people just stared at me as if something was wrong with me at the store.” Don said. Of course, I’m sure the staring was just him thinking people were staring at him at the store when he stopped for something for work, but he has been forgetting more and more these past few weeks. Coming home from church on Sunday, Don said, “I’m ok to drive, but I’m not seeing the wording clearly on the signs at all.” I’m alarmed that something is going on with him, and isn’t normal. Driving with diabetes issues such as low blood sugar or high blood sugar can be dangerous if the diabetes isn't managed. Do these symptoms come from having type 2 diabetes? Are the symptoms that he is experiencing due to having some other complication? How about fibromyalgia? He also has been stumbling over some words or sentences, and at times, I finished his sentence. Is this due to lack of sleep? How can he improve his sleep? Is he getting enough oxygen? Why is he so fatigued? Why does he have joint stiffness and muscle aches? Why the numbness and tingling in the face. Why does he have difficult swallowing when it is meal time? How about fibromyalgia which he has been diagnosed with a few years ago? Maybe? These issues are bringing on anxiety, stress and depression for him too, as he awaits Continue reading >>
Pre Diabetes & Diabetes – Symptoms And Treatment
I have pre diabetes and watched my parents my siblings ignore my advice and develop diabetes with major complications. Pre diabetes and diabetes are chronic and silently progressive degenerative diseases. One in 4 Americans have treatable diabetes and many more have treatable pre diabetes. What are these conditions? These are serious disorders that mean your body does not make or properly use insulin, a hormone needed to convert foods and glucose into cellular energy. When this happens, glucose goes down initially, then builds up and can damage your brain, eyes, circulation, kidneys, heart, nerves, immune system, internal organs, hands or feet and often causes erection problems in men. Pre diabetes means low or high glucose, typically 5–10 years before diabetes develops. Hypoglycemia is pre diabetes. Diabetes develops after years of untreated pre diabetes and has several forms: Type 1, 2 and 3. Pre diabetics and Type 2 diabetes is where the body can’t properly use the insulin it makes, causing hypoglycemia and/or insulin problems that go by various terms. All of this is occurring in younger and younger patients, both thin and overweight. Type 1 develops during childhood. Type 3 causes memory disorders, but so does pre diabetes, Types 1 and 2. Type 1 is due to autoimmune problems, and those with Type 1 could have other silent auto immune problems. See me for testing and treatments. Pregnant women often develop pre diabetes or gestational diabetes, which goes away for a while, then often progresses to Type 2 diabetes, particularly if not tested correctly or treated. You should never attempt to manage pre diabetes, hypoglycemia or diabetes by yourself. There is no cure for diabetes. but it may be prevented by treating pre diabetes aggressively with education, lifestyle Continue reading >>
Metformin And Impaired Thinking
According to new research from Australia, the oral diabetes medicine metformin is linked to impaired brain function, but supplementation with vitamin B12 may reduce some of the cognitive effects. Metformin is the most widely used diabetes drug in the world, with over 61 million prescriptions for the medicine filled in the United States alone in 2012. To evaluate the effects of the drug on cognitive impairment in people with diabetes, researchers recruited 1,354 people from various locations in Australia. The researchers included people with Alzheimer disease and mild cognitive impairment, as well as those who were cognitively normal, but they did not include people with stroke or neurological conditions other than Alzheimer. The participants had an average age of 73.8 and almost 60% were female The study used an evaluation known as the mini-mental state exam to determine cognitive performance. According to the results, slightly more than half of the participants were not cognitively impaired, while 21.8% were minimally impaired, 17.7% were mildly impaired, and 10.1% were most impaired. In their analysis, the researchers found that people with Type 2 diabetes had worse cognitive performance than those without Type 2 and that, among those with diabetes, people taking metformin had worse cognitive performance than those not taking the medicine. Cognitive function scores were also found to be lower among those with vitamin B12 levels of less than 250 pmol/l. Because metformin is known to be associated with B12 deficiency, the investigators suggested that “any effect metformin has on cognitive performance may be at least partially mediated by altering serum vitamin B12 levels.” Limitations of the study include an insufficient amount of information about the duration of t Continue reading >>
40% Of Type 1 Adults Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Tiredness can seem like a chronic condition when managing Type 1 diabetes, but a new study finds Type 1s are prone to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as well. A new study out of Holland suggests that people with Type 1 diabetes are much more likely to suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) than the average population, and it apparently has nothing to do with fluctuating glucose levels. The study, conducted by the Expert Center for Chronic Fatigue at Radboud University in Holland, found that 4 in 10 adult study participants with Type 1 diabetes suffered from CFS, compared with fewer than 1 in 10 in the control group of adults. The study results were published this August in Diabetes Care, a scientific journal of the American Diabetes Association. The researchers emphasized that CFS onset had nothing to do with glucose levels or bouts of hypoglycemia. Researchers had a subset of 66 participants with Type 1 diabetes wear a continuous glucose monitor, and those with fewer events of hypoglycemia actually were more likely to have symptoms of CFS. While the researchers found that depression and complications from diabetes made CFS more likely among the Type 1 population in the study, it’s difficult to draw many conclusions about the possible causes of CFS among people with diabetes. First recognized as a syndrome in 1994, CFS is still poorly understood, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CFS researchers are exploring everything from infection to stress as possible causes for the syndrome. Treatment is complex, as well, as doctors focus mainly on mitigating the symptoms of CFS in absence of a cure. According to the CDC, the fatigue of CFS is accompanied by at least 4 of 8 characteristic symptoms lasting at least 6 months. These symptoms incl Continue reading >>
Pre-diabetic Symptoms
Do you think you might have sugar regulation symptoms? It would not be surprising if you do. New cases of diabetes, hypoglycemia, and insulin resistance are growing at a staggering rate. As society marches on and grows, so does their demand for refined high carbohydrate food. Food is much cheaper and more available than ever before, but there is a price to this convenience. Staple foods of the average family are carbohydrate-dense. Breads, cereals, grains, and starchy vegetables are now the majority of what people eat. That shift from a veggies and meat diet to a grain-based diet is causing sugar regulation blood problems throughout the population, even in children. It is estimated that complications from diabetes will soon become one of the top fatal diseases in the world. The sad part about all of this is type 2 diabetes is completely preventable, and in most cases reversible. The cost of treating this one preventable disease is going to be more than the entire US federal budget in the near future List Of Pre-Diabetic Symptoms Does a history of diabetes run in your family? Do you have the same eating habits as your diabetic relatives? Do you feel the need to urinate constantly? Are you thirsty all the time? Are you gaining weight that won't come off with diets and exercise? Do you have cold feet and hands? Do you have numbness, burning, or peripheral neuropathy in your feet? Is it hard to think quickly, and are you suffering from brain fog? Are you exhausted most of the day? Do you wake up tired and crave naps throughout the day? Do you have extremely strong cravings for sweets and desserts? Are you still hungry even after you eat huge meals? Are you growing skin tags or are moles darkening? If you have a few of these symptoms you might have a condition called insulin Continue reading >>
Brain Fog After Eating? These Are The Worst Culprits
If you experience brain fog after you eat, you need to look at your diet. Follow these steps to uncover the offending foods and clear your fuzzy thinking. What you’ll learn about brain fog after eating in this article: Food allergies, sensitivities, and intolerances that cause brain fog How wheat and gluten cause fuzzy thinking How the blood sugar roller coaster contributes to brain fog Food additives that are linked to brain fog How to do an elimination diet to determine the foods you should avoid You’ll eat a meal, but instead of feeling energized you feel exhausted, mentally fuzzy, and you just can’t think. When you experience brain fog after eating, your brain is telling you there’s a problem. Certain foods, additives, an imbalance of macronutrients, or the amount you eat can all be culprits. Finding the answer requires some detective work. Food Allergies Can Cause Brain Fog If you have brain fog after eating a certain food, you may be allergic to it. Here’s a list of the top allergenic foods known as “The Big 8.” (1) dairy eggs fish shellfish wheat soy peanuts tree nuts It can be hard to detect if any of these are the cause of your brain fog since these foods are commonly hidden ingredients. FoodAllergy.org has compiled an extensive list of hidden sources of these and other top food allergens. Go to their food allergens page and select the food in question. You’ll find comprehensive information on foods to avoid, plus lists of unexpected sources. And while this top 8 list accounts for 90% of food allergies, it’s possible to be allergic to any food. (2) Some people are allergic to just one specific meat, fruit, vegetable, seed, and even spice. Food Sensitivities and Intolerances Cause Brain Fog Too You don’t have to be truly allergic to a food fo Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Your Brain
By Terri D'Arrigo WebMD Feature Your brain is a finely tuned organ. But it’s sensitive to the amount of sugar, or glucose, it receives as fuel. Whether you have type 1 or type 2, both the high blood glucose of uncontrolled diabetes and the low blood glucose that sometimes comes with diabetes treatment can affect your brain. The Dangers of High Blood Glucose Some of diabetes’ effects on the brain aren’t obvious right away, especially when they are related to high blood sugar. “With diabetes, you have an increased risk of damage to blood vessels over time, including damage to the small blood vessels in the brain. This damage affects the brain’s white matter,” says Joseph C. Masdeu, MD, PhD, of the Houston Methodist Neurological Institute. White matter is the part of the brain where nerves talk to one another. When the nerves in the brain are damaged, you can have changes in thinking called vascular cognitive impairment or vascular dementia. Vascular cognitive impairment can happen with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, but there are some differences in risk, says Joel Zonszein, MD, director of the Clinical Diabetes Center at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. “The longer you have diabetes [in general], the more of a chance there is of developing dementia, but we see much less of it in people with type 1 whose diabetes is well-controlled,” he says. People with type 2 may face a double-whammy because they tend to have other problems that also can cause blood vessel damage. “These patients tend to be less metabolically fit overall, with low HDL [“good”] cholesterol, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure, and they are more likely to be obese,” Zonszein says. Diabetes can combine with these other problems to create inflammation that damages bl Continue reading >>
Why Is My Brain So Foggy?
Why Is My Brain So Foggy? Do you often feel that you can’t think as clearly or quickly as you’d like? Are you easily distracted? Do you find it difficult to stay focused on a mental task? These are all common experiences and are colloquially referred to as having a foggy head. It’s natural to feel mentally tired if you’ve been working long hours or haven’t had enough sleep, but it’s not normal to feel this way most of the time. Having a foggy head is an extremely common problem and at least half of my patients list it as a problem on their consultation questionnaire when they book an appointment. I don’t think this is a symptom to be taken lightly. The health of your brain is extremely important. Anything that impairs the health and function of your brain can have a negative effect on all aspects of your life. People who suffer with a foggy head are more likely to experience stress and difficulties in their job or studies, and they are more likely to experience mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. They may also be at increased risk of dementia when they are older. You need to know what’s causing your foggy head if you wish to improve it. You may find some of the causes rather surprising. The most common causes of foggy head Bowel toxicity and leaky gut syndrome If you have a toxic bowel, you will inevitably flood your brain with toxins. You may have heard about leaky gut syndrome. It is a condition where the lining of the intestinal tract becomes excessively permeable. This means waste, bacteria, undigested foods, heavy metals, yeast, bacterial toxins and other harmful substances are able to cross through the gut lining and into the bloodstream. These substances are supposed to stay in your gut; they are not supposed to be able to pollute your Continue reading >>
4 Steps To Reduce Brain Fog And Brain Inflammation
Unfortunately, even resolutions made with the best intentions lose steam when the brain isn’t working. Brain fog describes the feeling of living in a hazy reality, where you feel disoriented, scattered, and dull. Signs of brain fog include trouble concentrating and forgetfulness. Recurring brain fog may leave you: Feeling groggy or confused Unable to focus With a poor memory Stuttering or stammering when speaking Processing information slowly What Causes Brain Fog? Brain fog can be a common occurrence and a sign of inflammation in the body. You may experience symptoms like confusion, poor memory, difficulty processing information, and an inability to focus. Datis Kharrazian, bestselling author and a leading expert on autoimmune diseases, recently published a book about the brain called Why Isn’t My Brain Working? He explains that brain fog doesn’t just involve the brain. (1) Brain fog is a sign of leaky brain or brain on fire. In other words, brain fog is a sign of inflammation. Inflammation in the brain causes neurons to fire more slowly, slowing down mental acuity, recall, and reflexes. Sluggish neurons also shut down the production of energy in the cells. This means that cells fatigue easily, and you may lose your ability to focus for long periods of time. Dr. Kharrazian explains that the immune system in the brain is composed of cells called microglia. Microglia “turn on” and release inflammatory messages when: There is head trauma. Your blood sugar is unregulated, such as diabetes or insulin resistance. There is poor blood circulation to the brain. There is inflammation outside the brain, such as an inflamed gut. You have a marked sensitivity to environmental pollutants, perfumes, and chemicals. The bad news is that once microglia are activated, they feed Continue reading >>
Why People With Type 1 Should Get Tested For Celiac Disease Before Severe Symptoms Show Up
I was tested randomly at age 14 for celiac disease—1 year after my type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Because celiac is one of the additional autoimmune diseases that people with type 1 are at a higher risk of developing (along with thyroid issues), my thorough pediatric endo’s office tests teenagers once a year just on principal. And thank goodness they did because the only reason I had practically zero symptoms of gluten intolerance, except for a slight occasional headache, is because I hadn’t been living with the condition long enough for serious damage to the lining of my small intestines to actually occur yet. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease that, when foods containing gluten is ingested, causes the body to literally attack and destroy the lining in the small intestines. Gluten is simply the protein found in wheat, rye, spelt, and barley. (Which means it’s in all your cupcakes, your crackers, breads, etc.) The presence in gluten for someone with celiac also leads to a tremendous amount of inflammation throughout the entire body and that inflammation can show up in a variety of ways: headaches, depression, joint pain, skin rashes, brain fog, and on and on. It can take years for the damage being done to the small intestines to actually show up in the symptoms (diarrhea, stomach pain, gas, bloating, weight loss or gain) that people commonly think of when they hear the word celiac, which is unfortunately why many people go years without being tested because they often think, “Well, I don’t have stomach issues when I eat, so I must be fine.” I’ve lived with celiac disease for about 15 years now and I want to tell the world that the only symptoms I ever had for years when I cheated on gluten off and on as a stubborn teenager was a little bloating and occa Continue reading >>
Common Causes Of Brain Fog: How To Deal With Brain And Mental Fatigue
As the body ages, one's memory can slowly start to fade and momentary lapses of confused thinking can become more common. This is a natural process but in some cases brain fog and fatigue can be accelerated by certain situations or conditions. Understanding the common causes of brain fatigue is essential for maintaining good health practices that will keep the brain clear-thinking and healthy for as long as possible. What Is Brain Fog? Brain fog, also commonly known as brain fatigue, can be a mild to severe episode of mental confusion that can strike without warning. When this occurs, it is common to experience a lack of focus, poor memory recall and reduced mental acuity. If the underlying causes of the brain fog are not addressed, then the condition can continue to occur to the point that it can negatively affect one's professional and personal life. Common Causes of Brain Fog Brain fog and fatigue can be caused by a range of factors. In all cases, getting to the heart of what causes the brain fog is the key to overcoming this debilitating condition. Common causes of brain fatigue include: Lack of Sleep – The brain needs sleep in order to recuperate. So, when sleep is regularly interrupted or when one suffers from a sleep disorder, they are more likely to experience brain fog in the morning upon waking. For some, a simple cup of coffee is enough to clear away the fog, but for those who suffer from serious sleep deprivation, the fog can stay for quite some time. Neurological Disorders – Certain neurological disorders have brain fog as side effects of the condition. These include fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and multiple sclerosis. Stress – Stress is very powerful and it can negatively affect the body in a number of ways, including causing brain f Continue reading >>
Can Diabetes Lead To Memory Loss?
In 2012, 9.3 percent of people in the United States had diabetes. That means that about 29.1 million Americans had diabetes in 2012. This number is growing. Every year, doctors diagnose an estimated 1.4 million new cases in the United States. Diabetes is a disease that involves having higher-than-normal blood glucose levels. This is known as hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia occurs when your body can’t produce or respond to insulin. Your pancreas produces the hormone insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. Because of the reduced insulin production or resistance to the hormone, blood sugar levels tend to be high. Type 1 diabetes This is also known as juvenile diabetes. An autoimmune process may cause type 1 diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, your body’s antibodies attack the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. You need insulin to help glucose molecules enter the cells. Once glucose enters the cells, your body can use it to create energy. People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce adequate amounts of insulin. This leads to higher than normal levels of blood sugar. Insulin injections are a necessary part of life for people living with type 1 diabetes. As of 2012, approximately 1.25 million Americans had type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes This is the most common form of diabetes worldwide. If you have type 2 diabetes, your body produces insulin, but it can’t use it in the way that it should. This resistance causes the pancreas to produce more insulin. The added insulin increases the hormone levels in the bloodstream. This can have long-term negative effects on the brain. Check out: Diabetes by the numbers: Facts, statistics, and you » Memory loss is a normal phenomenon of aging. There are differences between memory loss that occurs with age and the complex memory Continue reading >>
Pre Diabetes Symptoms
Here's a fact: Most people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes had pre diabetes symptoms that if known, could have alerted them to make diet and lifestyle changes before their diagnosis. Most physicians only pay attention to fasting blood sugar when watching for diabetes. For instance, if a patient's blood sugar is between 110-125, mg/dL, it indicates prediabetes. But blood sugar results can test in normal ranges even as diabetes is developing. If people with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis knew ALL of the pre diabetic symptoms for which to watch, it could help them avoid being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is defined medically as the state in which fasting blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Blood sugars in the prediabetic range (between 100 - 126 mg/dl) indicate insulin resistance is developing, and a metabolic syndrome diagnosis is more likely in the future. Insulin resistance (IR) is a condition in which chronically elevated blood sugar and insulin levels have resulted in an inability of body cells to respond to them normally. IR is the driving factor as insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, prediabetes and diabetes are all linked together on a continuum. Pre Diabetes Symptoms: It's Not Just About Blood Sugar Medical information about pre diabetes comes from medical associations such as the American Diabetes Association. The ADA guidelines say that prediabetes is a function of a fasting blood sugar is between 100-125 mg/dl. However, I am convinced that signs of prediabetes can be spotted even when blood tests indicated blood sugars below 100 mg/dl. I saw this in my own life. Eight years ago, I had many of the pre diabetic symptoms listed below, but my fasting blood sugar was still classified as "n Continue reading >>
