According to fresh studies, adults with type 2 diabetes or depression run elevated risk of suffering dementia. The same risk can be much high for people suffering both the conditions. In this study, many researchers examined dementia risk in over two million individuals of Denmark aged 50 or more. It also featured a group including individuals with depression, type 2 diabetes or both. 2% of the participants in this research developed dementia on six years of study period.
Out of those developing dementia, over 26% people had depression. On the other hand, 11% were suffering diabetes type 2. Apart from these groups, another 7% were suffering from both conditions. Researchers discovered that people suffering diabetes were running higher dementia risk compared to those with no depression and diabetes. People suffering depression had 80% higher risk of having dementia.
According to study’s author Dr Davydow, dementia risk for individuals suffering depression was high compared to those having diabetes and it surprised researchers. Davydow pointed out that risk related to depression was almost four times higher than that related with diabetes. All of the individuals diagnosed with depression and diabetes were over two times likely to develop the condition during this study compared to those who didn’t have any of the two conditions. Type 2 diabetes suffering people is the commonest category which is in 90% cases. In such circumstances, body cells don’t not respond to hormonal insulin by consuming sugar out of blood stream.
Investigators discovered that dementia risk related to suffering diabetes and depression was too high with people less than 65 years of age. Within the age group, combination of both depression and diabetes elaborated 25% of dementia cases. Comparatively with the overall study population across all ages groups, 6% dementia issues were only explained with both the conditions, expressed Davydow.
The study authors didn’t examine probable mechanisms explaining the connection between type 2 diabetes and diabetes and/or depression. Davydow pointed out possibility of diabetes affecting supply of blood to brain and contributing to dementia. Relationship between dementia and depression might be connected to elevated inflammation which accompanies depression. Similarly, this inflammation can also cause dementia, believes Dimitry Davydow.
In USA, diabetes type 2 and dementia rates are unfortunately on rise which is alarming. It can be simply avoided with exercise and healthy diet which are likely to help in 100% cases to prevent its occurrence. According to Davydow, something should be done immediately on this matter.
Provided nothing is done to stop this, there may be a higher epidemic of these dementia cases developing in quite a young age compared to what is visible at the moment, believes Davydow.
Apart from the study, many other papers have been periodically released which indicate a close link of diabetes and depression to dementia. In the near future, this topic will be also dissected from different perspectives to go deeper. There is no denying that more facts would come out of that which may surprise the people involved into these matters.
Image credit: Lisa Young