Type 2 Diabetes May Shrink the Brain, Study Suggests
People with type 2 diabetes may lose more brain volume than is expected as they age, new research indicates. Surprisingly, this shrinkage doesn't appear to be linked to the damaging effect of diabetes on tiny blood vessels in the brain, but instead by how the brain handles excess sugar, the researchers noted. "This is a very timely paper,” said Sam Gandy, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, and Associate Director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “There is a lot of interest and a lot of confusion about the mental impairment that accompanies type 2 diabetes. This study suggests that chronic high levels of insulin and sugar may be directly toxic to brain cells. This would definitely be a potential cause of dementia."
-Dr. Sam Gandy, Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Associate Director, Mount Sinai Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai