One of the definitions of pre-diabetes is a high rise in blood sugar after meals, and a recent study suggests that many cases of dementia are linked to these high rises in blood sugar (JAMA Netw Open, Jan 8, 2021;4(1):e2033012). This study of 3889 adults found that people who suffer from loss of mental function and dementia have much higher levels of Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) in their skin. AGEs form in your body when your blood sugar rises too high after you eat, causing the sugar to stick irreversibly to proteins, fats, or nucleic acids (Diabetologia, 2001;44(2):129-146). The AGEs turn on your immune system to cause inflammation that can damage all types of cells in your body and increase risk for dementia, heart attacks, strokes, and certain cancers (World J Cardiol, Apr 26, 2012;4(4):90-102).
This new study is the first to show that high levels of AGEs in the skin may be used to predict future loss of mental function and dementia. Many previous studies show that AGEs can accumulate in the brains of people who suffer from dementia (Biochem Biophys Res Commun, 1997;236(2):327-332), and researchers can measure the amount of AGEs in the skin to determine the amount of AGEs in the brain (Diabetologia, 2004;47(7):1324-1330). Measuring the amount of AGEs in the skin can also be used to demonstrate increased amounts of AGEs in arteries to predict risk for heart disease (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2014;34(12):2695-2699). Doctors use a blood test called APOE4 to check for genetic susceptibility for dementia. AGEs may well be the link to this dementia as people with this genetic susceptibility for dementia have higher levels of AGEs in their brains (J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2020;75(10):1899-1905).
