A recent study led by the University of Southern California (USC) has uncovered a strong connection between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and brain structure changes in older adults.
The research, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, highlights how diabetes may lead to thinning of the brain’s cortex, particularly in areas crucial for memory and thinking. This discovery sheds light on the importance of managing blood sugar levels to protect brain health as people age.
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar. About one in ten Americans live with this condition, which can lead to serious health complications if not properly managed. It is known to increase the risk of heart disease, nerve damage, and weakened immune response. Now, scientists are discovering that it may also have a significant impact on the brain’s structure.
The research team, which included experts from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and the University of Texas at Austin, examined brain images from participants in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD).
This study is one of the largest of its kind, focusing on brain health in diverse populations, including Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic white adults.
Using advanced brain imaging techniques, researchers measured the thickness of the cortex—the outer layer of the brain responsible for processing information, memory, and decision-making. They also looked at the size of the hippocampus, which is vital for forming new memories.
The findings showed that people with type 2 diabetes had noticeably thinner cortex regions, especially in the temporal and parietal lobes. These areas are important for memory, processing information, and understanding spatial awareness.
The researchers found that the thinning of the cortex was linked to poor blood sugar control. One of the key measures they looked at was HbA1c levels, which indicate average blood sugar levels over three months.
Higher HbA1c levels were associated with greater brain thinning. This suggests that the longer blood sugar is poorly managed, the more damage might occur to brain structures linked to thinking and memory.
Amaryllis A. Tsiknia, the lead researcher and a Ph.D. student at USC, emphasized the importance of these findings. “Since blood sugar levels can be managed with proper treatment and lifestyle changes, our findings highlight the potential for protecting brain health through better diabetes management,” she said.
This means that keeping diabetes under control might not just prevent physical health problems but also help protect the brain from cognitive decline.
The research also found some surprising differences among racial and ethnic groups. Hispanic participants showed the strongest link between diabetes and brain thinning, while no significant effects were found among non-Hispanic Black participants.
This suggests that the impact of diabetes on the brain may vary across different populations, possibly due to different environmental and genetic factors. Meredith N. Braskie, a senior author of the study and an assistant professor of neurology at USC, explained that understanding these differences is crucial for creating personalized care that can better protect brain health in all communities.
The HABS-HD study, which provided the data for this research, is the most comprehensive study of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in diverse populations. It includes not just brain scans but also interviews, medical exams, cognitive tests, and clinical lab work.
Arthur W. Toga, the director of the Stevens INI and lead for the HABS-HD neuroimaging study, believes that this kind of large-scale research is essential for discovering how chronic diseases like diabetes affect brain health.
The research team is planning to follow up with more long-term studies to see if these brain changes lead to faster mental decline as people age.
They also hope to explore how diabetes medications and lifestyle changes, such as better diet and exercise, might slow down or prevent these harmful brain changes. If successful, these strategies could offer new ways to protect brain health in people with diabetes, reducing the risk of memory loss and cognitive decline.
This study marks an important step toward understanding how managing blood sugar levels could help protect the brain. With type 2 diabetes becoming more common, particularly among minority populations, this research highlights the need for better prevention and care strategies.
Protecting brain health might be another strong reason for people with diabetes to prioritize their health and manage their condition effectively.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that MIND diet may reduce risk of vision loss disease, and Vitamin D could benefit people with diabetic neuropathic pain.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies that Vitamin E could help reduce blood sugar and insulin resistance in diabetes, and results showing eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
The research findings can be found in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
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