Memory problems? Check your blood sugar level
Before you bite into that morning donut, here’s something to chew on—the higher your blood sugar levels rise, the more likely you may be to experience memory issues, says a new report.
According to the German study, published this week in the journal Neurology, those with elevated blood sugar levels performed worse on memory tests than those with blood sugar in the normal range. This included people who had high blood sugar levels, but had not been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or even pre-diabetes.
The study involved 141 men and women between the ages of 50 and 80 years old. None of the participants had diabetes or pre-diabetes and showed no previous memory problems. The study consisted of memory and blood sugar testing, as well as MRI scans of their brains.
The findings showed that those participants with lower blood sugar levels were “significantly associated with better scores in delayed recall, learning ability and memory consolidation.”
Previous studies have shown that high blood sugar levels increase a person’s risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Though the study size was small and further research is needed, Dr. Jonathan Vogel, neurologist with Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, says the findings aren’t surprising.
“There is evidence now that uncontrolled diabetes and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) affect a person’s memory,” Dr. Vogel says. “We’ve suspected this for a while. It’s definitely something I see with my patients and is something I’ve been counseling them about.”
He says everyone, no matter their age, can benefit from maintaining a low blood sugar, a healthy body weight and active lifestyle.
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