Diabetes And Dementia: 7 Ways To Reduce Your Risk Of Alzheimer’s And Cognitive Decline

People with diabetes are at an increased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease because of the effects of high blood sugar. For heaven’s sake—is there anything that blood sugar doesn’t mess with?

Studies have shown that rising blood sugar levels correlate with rising rates of cognitive decline and dementia, and people with diabetes have about double the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease as those without.

Dementia is a syndrome that causes several groups of symptoms. Dementia affects cognitive tasks such as thinking, communicating, and remembering; functional skills such as eating and walking; and mood and behavior. Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and is a brain disease that gets worse over time.

Cognitive decline refers to declining cognition and brain processing, and it does interfere with daily functions. The terms, cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s, are related but not interchangeable. Diabetes is a risk factor for all three.

While there’s no way to guarantee that a person won’t someday face dementia or decline, there are ways to reduce risk, and many habits that reduce risk also improve overall quality of life. Here are 7 ways people with diabetes can reduce dementia and Alzheimer’s risk:

1. Manage Your Blood Sugar

We know what you’re thinking: “Tell me something I don’t know.” Fair enough. But just in case you had any doubt, remember that studies have shown that good blood sugar management can help mitigate cognitive decline in later years.

2. Protect Your Head

There’s a link between head trauma and Alzheimer’s risk, so do your best to avoid head trauma. What’s that? You don’t deliberately seek out head trauma? That’s excellent! Keep it up by wearing a seatbelt, protecting your head when playing sports, wearing a helmet when riding a bike, and removing trip hazards from your home.

3. Eat a healthy diet

Keep your brain healthy by making sure your food provides enough vitamin D, folate, and B6 and B12 vitamins. Focusing on a variety of fruits and vegetables should make this easier! Also include whole grains and healthy fats like the ones in fish, nuts, and olive oil. Oh, and of course, limit sugar and saturated fats.

4. Exercise

Exercise may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s by increasing oxygen and blood flow to the brain’s cells. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Five 30-minute exercise sessions will get you there, but you can break it up however you’d like!