Diabetes and the Risk of Forgetting

People living with diabetes face a higher chance of losing memory. A recent study examined nearly 284,000 adults and found:

• Type 1 diabetes: almost three times more likely to develop dementia.
• Type 2 diabetes: twice as likely.

Key Findings

• About 65 % of dementia cases in type 2 patients can be traced back to the disease itself.
• This is one of the first studies linking dementia to type 1 diabetes.

Why It Matters

• Type 1: The body stops producing insulin due to an autoimmune attack (≈5 % of all diabetes cases).
• Type 2: Insulin is produced but not used properly (≈95 % of cases).

Scientists suggest that high blood sugar can:

1. Damage brain cells.
2. Promote harmful protein build‑ups linked to Alzheimer’s.
3. Harm blood vessels, increasing stroke risk.

These mechanisms collectively raise dementia risk.

Implications

• The number of older adults with type 1 diabetes is growing, despite its rarity.
• Understanding how type 1 affects brain health could lead to strategies that slow or stop dementia in this group.