My son sent me an article from The Guardian a few weeks ago. It was a article talking about the concept that Alzheimer's Disease may actually be diabetes type 3.
I read the article and was really taken back. The first question in my mind was "Is this science or it is propaganda by a group to scare people?" I have let the thought sit uneasily on my mind for the last few weeks.
Here is a link to the article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/10/alzheimers-junk-food-catastrophic-effect
One of the first things that grabbed me was the purported correlation between diabetes (particularly diabetes type 2) and Alzheimer's. I had not heard of this before and it was alarming. Upon further research, it appears that there can be a link but that scientists are not completely sure of the "whys" yet. Please see an article from the Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-alzheimers/AZ00050.
Perhaps because I have a father who is suffering from vascular dementia and Alzheimer's, this information has an impact on me. I see the effects on almost a daily basis and I know the toll that it takes on the individual and the family. The thought of this affecting my husband or children horrifies me.
I let this all percolate in my brain for awhile and then decided to do some more research. There seems to be a fair number of articles on the subject of diabetes type 3. I certainly cannot debate the merits of the science that is discussed. I don't know if it is right or wrong.
I know that the numbers they are talking about both in predictions of the growth of diabetes and the growth of Alzheimer's is incredible.
I think it is scary.
All the written information does seem to agree on one point. The bulk of the blame for this problem is the way that we eat and the lack of exercise in our lives.
In an interview in the Boston Globe with Deborah Kotz, Dr. Suzanne DeLaMonte, the Brown Medical School neuropathologist whose 2005 initial studies connected that Alzheimers could be diabetes type 3, states that, for now, prevention lies in making lifestyle changes. (http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2012/10/07/alzheimer-disease-akin-type-diabetes/4KxSHuPOmpYEBXMtEsO6sJ/story.html )
In reading these articles, I feel that I have ventured into the area of the old "Scared Straight" movies and propaganda. It is truly frightening.
It is also a great incentive to eat right and exercise. While I am still sneaking some candy corn, I am not falling back on all my bad habits. I guess a bit of scared straight isn't so bad....
Thanks for reading.
Food for thought...just took on yet another meaning. Thanks for keeping us up-to-date on the research.
ReplyDeleteI too read about this recently. My mother is the model of health--never ate junk, is a whole 110 lbs, exercised daily, does the daily crossword,read all the time, didn't watch TV, etc. etc. and yet she has Alzheimer's. BTW, have you seen Susan Craig's blog:http://bysusancraig.wordpress.com/ (fellow MNINBobber)
ReplyDeletethis is posting as anonymous but I'm not too much--J.lynn
Whoa, what if? I don't have diabetes but should really put the chocolate down and go to the gym more often> Thanks for the research.
ReplyDeleteSince I am now taking a graduate school class training me how to understand scientific journal articles I find this very interesting! Nothing can be established if we can't read these "studies" and even so, this article points out that there has been an only an "association" established, which does not indicate causation. I would certainly be interested in seeing what the future might bring us, including new and better studies!
ReplyDelete