DEMENTIA DANGER FOR PEOPLE WITH TYPE DIABETES WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM SEVERLY LOW BLOOD SUGAR
Diabetes and Dementia
October 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A study on the relationship between diabetes and dementia reveals that diabetes appears to double a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. A study published in the September 20 issue of Neurology showed that people with diabetes were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia, such as vascular dementia, which occurs when there is damage to blood vessels that deliver oxygen to the brain. Researchers studied more than 1000 people who were age 60 and older and given a glucose (sugar) tolerance test after an overnight fast to determine if they had diabetes. Study participants were monitored for an average of 11 years and then tested for cognitive impairments. During the study, 232 people eventually developed dementia. The study found that people with diabetes were twice as likely to develop dementia as people with normal blood sugar levels. Of the 150 people with diabetes, 41 had developed dementia, compared to 115 of the 559 people without diabetes who developed dementia. Diabetes is an epidemic. But the worse epidemic is obesity, which many times leads to this disease.
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The Medical Indicators of Dementia
October 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The Medical Indicators of Dementia
Article by Randy McIntire
Recent medical research is offering some interesting information about health problems that are predictors of cognitive dysfunction. What if, by making some minor life changes now, we could not only be physically healthier as we age, but also retain our mental acuity well into our 80s? Here’s some news to remind you of the importance of the body and mind and how they interact: Diabetes and hypertension may both increase the risk of Alzheimer’s in seniors.
Researchers in London recently set out to study whether patients with diabetes who already suffered from mild cognitive impairment were at higher risk for full-blown dementia. Their study of 103 adults over age 65 over four years showed that 19 of those patients eventually developed dementia. Participants with diabetes were more than three times likely to see an increased severity of cognitive impairment over the four year period. The study results have particularly strong validity because the subjects were taken from primary care centers, rather than specialist clinics that treated memory loss.
In adults with impaired executive functioning – those who experienced disorganized thought or difficulty making decisions – hypertension also seems to be an indicator of dementia. A study of nearly a thousand people of average age 83 who did not exhibit symptoms of cognitive impairment over five years showed that patients with high blood pressure were about 4% more likely to develop dementia. But in the group which experienced only impaired executive functioning, the rate for dementia in individuals with high blood pressure was nearly 30% higher. Based on these results, the scientists estimate that controlling hypertension in this at-risk group could reduce the development of Alzheimer’s and other severe cognitive impairments by 50% over five years.
A biological mechanism explaining the link between high blood pressure and dementia is still unknown to scientists, though this new research is likely to spur on more studies regarding the phenomenon. In the case of diabetes as a precursor, there is more information available about the possible connection. Insulin affects the brain in many ways, and it is thought that low insulin levels and the associated lowered levels of related proteins are linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Early stages of Alzheimer’s often coincide with reduced glucose utilization and deficient energy metabolism; diabetes may actually act as an agonist for dementia in a person with a genetic predisposition toward cognitive disorders.
The best safeguard against diabetes and high blood pressure is making regular visits to your physician, who can help you spot the warning signs of those disorders. A Mediterranean diet rich in whole grains, fish, and fresh fruits and vegetables is also believed to lower blood pressure and decrease your risk for senile dementia. For some people, though, diet and exercise may not be enough, and your physician may recommend a pharmaceutical solution to your high blood pressure. This research is only a fraction of the growing mountain of evidence that taking care of our bodies is vitally important if we want to make sure our minds are also healthy as we enter our golden years.
About the Author
Randy McIntire is a technical writer for US Medical Supplies, an online retailer of more than 10,000 medical products and mobility aids.
Diabetes and Dementia May Be Linked, Study Says
September 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Diabetes and Dementia May Be Linked, Study Says
Article by Peter Kent
The results of a study published in the Archives of Neurology may from researchers at the University of Washington have found a potential link between the onset of dementia and diabetes. The scientists found that an increase of vascular disease, rather than Alzheimer’s disease, may be the cause of dementia, and patients with diabetes have a higher association of vascular disease.
The scientists studied autopsy findings of various patients who were both treated and untreated for diabetes. “There were more microvascular infarcts” among patients that had been diagnosed than those who did not receive treatment for such a conditions, according to news reports.However, patients who were under-treated for their diabetes condition actually showed a difference in dementia levels from their diabetic-treated counterparts.
Additionally, of the 196 autopsy reports conducted, approximately 71 of the patients suffered from dementia and of those patients, approximately 59 patients also suffered from diabetes and received treatment for their condition, according to news reports. While researchers were unable to make a substantial link between the development of diabetes and the onset of dementia, the association between the status of diabetes and the level of dementia has been discovered to be much stronger than previous research.
Developing Dementia
According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “dementia is a word for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain and dementia is not actually considered a specific disease.” Dementia is often associated with the following signs and symptoms:
* recent memory loss
* difficulty performing familiar tasks
* problems with language
* time and place disorientation
* poor judgement
* problems with abstract thinking
* misplacing things
* changes in mood
* personality changes
* loss of initiative
It is advisable for patients who may be suffering from dementia to speak with a medical professional as well as to include their family, friends or caretakers in making a decision based on the severity of their condition.
Diabetes Drug Dangers
While there are an array of prescription drugs for diabetes that are available to regulate glucose or insulin levels within the body as well as injectable forms of insulin, including Byetta, there are also several dangers commonly associated with the consumption of a variety of these drugs including Byetta.
In mid-2005, Byetta, also known as exenatide, became available for manufacture from Eli Lilly and Company and Amylin Pharmaceuticals. Byetta has been linked to several damaging side effects, which include the development of pancreatic conditions that could be deadly. The drug is an injectable form of medication used to treat non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetics.
According to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report, in October 2007 several patients were found to have developed pancreatic inflammation — all of whom were consuming the drug. Then in August 2008, approximately six patients were hospitalized due to acute pancreatitis, sudden pancreatitis and inflammation. Of the six patients who were hospitalized, two were deemed fatal as a result of the Byetta-induced pancreatic conditions. Because of the Byetta dangers it may be necessary to contact a pharmaceutical attorney and obtain a free legal consultation on the details surrounding a Byetta class action lawsuit, which may earn a victim monetary compensation for the damages incurred.
About the Author
To learn more on developing a byetta class action lawsuit, individuals can visit http://byetta.legalview.info/. Information on this and other topics, such as the Fosamax side effects or the peanut butter recall can also be found at http://www.LegalView.info/.