Diabetes causes mental decline from middle age

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Diabetes begins to reduce brain size in the middle age and causes a rapid mental decline at the age of retirement, according to a recent scientific study.

Scientists at the University of Tasmania have found that older people with type 2 diabetes have a marked decrease in memory and fluency over five years.

Interestingly, they found that 68-year-old participants at the start of the study were already showing signs of brain damage, which scientists say started several years ago.

Australian scientists found that participants exhibited signs of greater brain atrophy than at the beginning of the study, compared with those without type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is known to be one of the fastest growing health problems because it is related to lifestyle and diet, and chronic diseases cause many health problems affecting the kidneys, heart, eyes and nerves.

In addition to these risks, scientists have been able, through modern studies, to prove that the second type of diabetes has a significant impact on the brain and can lead to dementia.

Source: Daily Mail