It has been noted previously that diabetes, even mild elevation of blood sugar, increases the risk of developing dementia with advancing age. Because many diabetics also develop cardiovascular disease, it has been difficult to say whether the elevated blood sugar wreaks its own havoc in our brains, or merely advances hypertension which causes cognitive loss.
A study just reported that blood pressure control in diabetics will not necessarily protect brain health, suggesting that the elevated blood sugar is the problem. As noted in a previous news post, "Serious Sugar Blues", added sugars pose serious health risk. It's time for physicians to counsel against excessive sugar just as avidly as we have counseled against smoking and for seat belts.
