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Insulin's Effect on the Brain :

Jul 01, 2007

If you have diabetes, pre-diabetes or a condition known as insulin resistance, your brain may be at risk. Recent research indicates that those with Type 2 diabetes have a two to three-fold higher risk of developing dementia. Those with pre-diabetes and insulin resistance, a condition where cells do not respond properly to insulin, are also at a higher risk.

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It is estimated that 24 million people have dementia worldwide. Dementia is a general term which describes symptoms that affect the brain including difficulty with thinking, memory, communication, problem solving or self-care. Emotional swings, aggression or personality changes may also be present. Some individuals with dementia have mild forms, while others experience severe symptoms and require the assistance of others for survival. There is no doubt dementia, in its severest forms, are devastating to individuals, families, communities and the healthcare system. What is the link?
Insulin plays a key role in several aspects of normal brain function. Insulin resistance, a condition in which the body churns out extra insulin when cells do not respond to normal levels, is known to increase the risk for dementia.

Research from the team of Dr. Suzanne Craft at the University of Washington School of Medicine, has found that when levels of insulin in the blood are excessive, higher amounts of destructive inflammatory chemicals and a type of protein called beta-amyloid, are increased in the brain. These compounds appear to cause age-related memory problems and are also linked to the development of Alzheimerā€™s disease.

Higher levels of insulin also increase a type of blood fat called triglycerides. The breakdown product of triglycerides, free-fatty acids, deposit in excessive amounts in the brain. The excessive shifting of free fatty acids into the brain can cause cells there to self-destruct, a process known as apoptosis.

Are you at risk?
How would a person know if insulin levels are too high? First, 90 percent of people with Type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes are estimated to also have insulin resistance. Other indicators of insulin resistance include having three or more of the following five criteria: