Daily HealthBeat Tip - June 20, 2007

Diabetes and memory

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Diabetes may be worse for people than had been thought. A researcher says older people with diabetes tend to have more memory problems – a condition called mild cognitive impairment.  It’s not enough to affect their daily lives, but the study found it was there.

Jose Luchsinger of Columbia University Medical Center saw it over six years of data on more than 900 people over age 65. His study in Archives of Neurology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Experts think some people with mild cognitive impairment could develop Alzheimer’s disease. Although Luchsinger says his study can’t prove diabetes caused mild cognitive impairment, it’s still another reason to reduce your risk of diabetes:

"A very good strategy to avoid these problems is to stay active, to control weight – to have a healthy lifestyle." (seven seconds)

Learn more at hhs.gov.

Last revised: June, 20 2007