What Is The Relationship Between Type 3 Diabetes And Alzheimer's Disease?

Diabetes is a common disease that causes patients to have high blood sugar levels. The main types of diabetes are:

• Type 1 diabetes. This develops because our immune system, which normally helps fight bacteria and other organisms, starts to mistakenly attack our own cells instead. This type of disease is called an autoimmune disease. In the case of type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks cells of the pancreas, which produces a hormone called insulin that helps metabolize glucose.
• Type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is the more common diabetic condition. Type 2 diabetes develops when cells become resistant to the effects of insulin. This is generally caused by lifestyle factors such as obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

What is the link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s disease may be triggered by insulin resistance in the brain, leading to “diabetes of the brain”. Additionally, patients with untreated type 2 diabetes tend to accrue damage in their blood vessels, which include those blood vessels that supply the brain.

Since type 2 diabetes can take a long time to develop, many patients don’t know they have the disease, which can lead to complications such as blood vessel damage over a period of several years. Damage to the blood vessels can limit the blood getting to the brain, thereby leading to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Other explanations for the link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease include:

• Diabetes leads to an imbalance in the chemicals of the brain, which can trigger the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
• High blood sugar levels cause the immune system to produce inflammation, a process that can damage brain cells.

In addition to Alzheimer’s disease, people who have diabetes are known to have a higher risk of developing vascular dementia, which can either be a disease of its own or it could be a warning sign that the vascular dementia can progress into Alzheimer’s disease. While researchers are still continuing to study and analyze this link, the only thing we can say right now is that there is a connection between Alzheimer’s disease and insulin resistance. However, this link is by no means universal and many people who have either disease do not develop the other.

Risk factors for type 3 diabetes

Risk factors that are associated with type 2 diabetes include:

• A family history of the disease
• High blood pressure
• High weight, especially obesity
• Certain chronic conditions
• A sedentary lifestyle
• Ethnicity. People that are African American, Native American, Asian, Pacific Islander and Hispanic are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. 
• Gender. Females are muc more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than men.

Symptoms of type 3 diabetes

The symptoms of type 3 diabetes are different from those of type 2 diabetes, which mostly revolve around feeling excessive thirst and hunger and frequent urination. The symptoms of type 3 diabetes include:

• Memory loss
• Problems with activities of daily living
• Issues with social interactions
• Difficulty completing tasks
• Misplacing or losing objects
• Inability to make accurate judgemental
• Changes in personality or behavior

How is type 3 diabetes diagnosed?

Currently, there is no test that specifically looks for type 3 diabetes. Generally, your doctor will ask you questions regarding your symptoms and order tests that measure your cognitive and critical thinking abilities. They will also prescribe brain imaging, such as MRIs or CT scans, so they can figure out if they can see markers that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

If your symptoms reflect both type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, you will also be sent for blood tests that can check your blood sugar levels. These include a fasting blood glucose test, hemoglobin A1c test, and random blood glucose test.

Treatment: How is type 3 diabetes managed?

Neither type 2 diabetes nor Alzheimer’s disease can be cured. However, symptomatic treatments can help manage the disease. Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's will be treated separately:

• Type 2 diabetes. Treatment for type 2 diabetes includes lifestyle modifications such as losing weight, eating healthier, and exercising more. You may also be prescribed drugs if your blood glucose levels remain uncontrolled.
• Alzheimer’s disease. Prescription medication is able to help treat symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease. These drugs include memantine, donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine.