Type 3 Diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease
What is type 3 diabetes?
Some research studies have suggested that Alzheimer’s disease should also be classified as a type of diabetes, called type 3 diabetes. However, type 3 diabetes is not currently an official medical term and is not necessarily recognised by national health organisations.
Type 3 diabetes is a term used by some researchers to describe the theory that insulin resistance and insulin-like growth factor dysfunction in the brain may cause Alzheimer’s disease. More research needs to be done to understand the link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
This condition also has been used by some to describe people who have type 2 diabetes and also receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The classification of type 3 diabetes is highly controversial, and it’s not widely accepted by the medical community as a clinical diagnosis.
The link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s
Researchers have examined a possible link between diabetes and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Some suggest that Alzheimer’s may be triggered by insulin resistance in your brain. This claim has some science behind it, but it’s a bit of an oversimplification.
Over time, untreated diabetes can cause damage to your blood vessels, including vessels in your brain. Many people who have type 2 diabetes don’t know that they have the condition, which may delay diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, those with type 2 diabetes, especially undiagnosed diabetes, have a higher risk of this kind of damage.
Diabetes may also cause chemical imbalances in your brain, contributing to Alzheimer’s. Also, high blood sugar levels lead to inflammation, which may damage brain cells. For these reasons, diabetes is considered a risk factor for vascular dementia. Vascular dementia is a stand-alone diagnosis with symptoms of its own. It can also be a warning sign of what will develop into an overlap with Alzheimer’s disease.
The science of this process is still uncertain. For now, what’s been established is that there are cases of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia that don’t have any demonstrated link to insulin resistance. Scientists are still trying to understand Alzheimer’s disease, its causes, and its relationship to diabetes.
Causes and risk factors for type 3 diabetes
According to a 2022 review, people who have type 2 diabetes may be up to 45-90% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia, such as vascular dementia. Previously, a study from 2016 involved more than 100,000 people living with dementia. It showed that females with type 2 diabetes had a higher probability of developing vascular dementia than males.
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes can include:
a family history of diabetes
high blood pressure (hypertension)
being overweight or obese
certain chronic health conditions, such as depression and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Symptoms of type 3 diabetes
The symptoms of the proposed type 3 diabetes condition may include symptoms of dementia, such as those seen in early Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, these symptoms can include:
memory loss that affects daily living and social interactions
difficulty completing familiar tasks
misplacing things often
decreased ability to make judgments based on information
sudden changes in personality or demeanour
Treatment for type 3 diabetes
There’s no one treatment for type 3 diabetes, as it is not an official diagnosis. There are separate treatment options for people who have:
prediabetes
type 2 diabetes
Alzheimer’s disease
A doctor may recommend lifestyle measures, such as diet and exercise. However, focusing on just these two lifestyle measures may well be over-simplisitc. It’s worthwhile to consider other environmental impactors and lifestyle choices, eg our work & living environments; chronic stress in our lives; quality of sleep; gut health, etc.
Preventing type 3 diabetes
If you have type 2 diabetes, managing your condition with medication and lifestyle measures may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other complications. Some of the proven methods for managing type 2 diabetes and minimising organ damage include:
exercising four times per week for 30 minutes per day
eating foods low in trans fats, rich in good quality protein, and high in fibre
monitoring your blood sugar according to your GP’s recommendations
taking prescribed medications regularly and on schedule, eg metformin or glyclazide
monitoring your cholesterol levels, which often goes hand-in-hand with type 2 diabetes
maintaining a moderate weight
Extracts taken from Kelly Wood & Heather Hobbs from https://www.healthline.com