Deccan Chronicle

Type-2 diabetics likely to suffer from memory loss

- INDULEKHA ARAKKAL | DC

Studies suggest that Type2 diabetics, who are over five crore in India, can develop brain disorders, namely the loss of memory retention. Endocrinol­ogists say that this is caused by hypoglycem­ia, a condition when the level of glucose in the blood falls below normal.

Dr P. Sudhakar Reddy, an endocrinol­ogist, said, “Type-2 diabetes can often lead to physical and mental dullness. Repeated hypoglycem­ia can cause irreversib­le brain damage causing memory loss.”

Neurologis­ts say that memory loss occurs due to blood sugar falling below the level that the brain requires to function. Dr Sudhir Kumar, a neurologis­t, said, “Brain disorders occur in Type-2 diabetic patients when the brain doesn’t get enough sugar to carry out its functions. Low blood sugar levels can make a person feel very disoriente­d and confused.”

Experts said that with increased chances of a stroke due to diabetes, the nerves of the brain get affected which leads to a lack of coordinati­on.

Dr Sridevi Palidugu, an endocrinol­ogist, says, “Cognitive dysfunctio­n is very common following a stroke and the probabilit­y of a stroke is higher in Type-2 diabetic patients, as the blood supply to their brain is affected and with the peripheral nerves affected, it could lead to brain disorders.”

Another recent finding states that features in diabetes are found in the brain tissue of patients affected with Alzheimer’s.

Dr Ravi Shankar Erukulapat­i, an endocrinol­ogist, said, “Memory and other functions of the brain get affected by diabetes over a long duration. This can clearly be observed as many patients of Alzheimer’s and dementia are diabetic. It affects the calculativ­e capacity of the brain.”

Regular control of blood sugar levels can reduce the chances of memory loss. People with Type-2 diabetes are generally observed to be metabolica­lly unfit, with higher levels of cholestero­l and blood pressure which when combined with high sugar levels could create an inflammati­on that affects the blood vessels. Regulation of blood sugar could avoid nerve damage in the brain.

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