Diabetes, which affects 422 million people in the world according to the WHO, is associated with multiple possible affectations of the nervous system and the brain.
Now we know that, even if the person follows all the recommendations of the doctor, does the periodic check-ups and has a good control of the disease, it alters the plasticity of the brain.
This is why people with diabetes have a higher risk of developing cognitive impairment and dementia, and it is important to pay attention to it and to do something about it.
Reduced learning and memory
According to a
study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, type 2 diabetes (DM2) accelerates cognitive aging and increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. People with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) also show cognitive deficits, which include reduced learning and memory.
Besides, we can’t forget that many people suffer from prediabetes (DM) without knowing it, since it is asymptomatic. And this also affects the brain. Those individuals who have glucose levels in prediabetes values have a high risk of having type 2 diabetes mellitus in the future. Prediabetes can be detected with a test.
The good news is that it is possible to compensate for this alteration of cerebral plasticity caused by diabetes. There are things that can be done and are related to one's healthy life habits.
Physical exercise on a regular basis, cognitive training, putting challenges to your brain, getting enough and good sleep, and having an extensive and active social network can help you boost your brain plasticity.
Why is Brain Plasticity important?
The brain needs to have effective plasticity mechanisms to function correctly. Plasticity is the ability of the human brain to change and adapt to the environment and the circumstances of life. This adaptive potential allows the brain to recover from injuries and can reduce the effects of damage from diseases. Therefore, having good mechanisms of plasticity throughout life is very important.
Link to the WHO Diabetes website:
Link to the study at Journal of Alzheimer's Disease: