Type-2 diabetes may raise Alzheimer’s risk by 53%, study finds

Diabetes is commonly associated with damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves – but growing evidence suggests the brain may also be affected.

A new Australian-led review has found that people living with type-2 diabetes have a 53% higher relative risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease than those without the condition.

Published this week in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, the findings examined 40 previous studies involving millions of participants.

The researchers estimated that about 4.7 out of every 1,000 people with type-2 diabetes would develop Alzheimer’s disease over the course of a year.

Importantly, the 53% figure refers to an increase in relative risk; it does not mean that more than half of people with type-2 diabetes will go on to develop Alzheimer’s.

Study author Emmanuel Adewuyi of Curtin University’s School of Population Health said the review was designed to provide a clearer picture of the Alzheimer’s burden, specifically among those with type-2 diabetes.

Earlier studies have often grouped different types of diabetes together or looked at dementia more broadly, rather than focusing specifically on Alzheimer’s.

Th scientists are still working to understand exactly how the two conditions may be connected. Type-2 diabetes is associated with changes involving blood vessels, inflammation and the way the body responds to insulin, all of which may also affect brain health over time.

Importantly, the latest findings show an association, rather than proving that diabetes directly causes Alzheimer’s disease.

The research comes ahead of World Diabetes Day today, which this year highlights the importance of early action on diabetes. That message is particularly relevant in Malaysia, where diabetes remains widespread.

For the experts, the research adds another reason for long-term diabetes care to take into consideration more than blood sugar alone. Identifying diabetes early and managing it well may have benefits that reach far beyond the conditions traditionally associated with it.