Diabetes is a very common condition. Everyone is familiar with the main types of diabetes which are Type 1,2, gestational and prediabetes. People with type 1 diabetes have a nonfunctional pancreas and are not able to produce any insulin on their own thus needing dependency on outside (exogenous) insulin. Type 2 diabetes consists of having both an overworked pancreas and an issue with insulin sensitivity, which basically means cells are not able to take in the glucose (sugar) molecules for energy and storage thus leading to high amounts of glucose in the blood. Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy and consists of having abnormally high blood glucose levels during this time. Lastly, prediabetes is where the blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not severe enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. But what is truly unfamiliar, is the emergence of “type 3 diabetes” and the damaging effects it can cause the body, more specifically the brain.
What is Type 3 Diabetes?
Type 3 diabetes (or also called ‘diabetic brain’) is not an official health condition and it is certainly not recognized by a lot of healthcare professionals. In fact, many major health organizations do not even list it as a condition. In simple terms, type 3 diabetes is in reality another way to describe Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), which is a brain disease that destroys both memory and other important brain functions. The main concept to understand with this condition is a patient either being already diagnosed or undiagnosed with type 2 diabetes, but then ultimately getting AD especially if diabetes is uncontrolled.
How can someone with Type 2 Diabetes get Type 3 Diabetes?
The proposed mechanism behind Type 3 diabetes is knowing that there is an established link between AD and type 2 diabetes. The different proposals behind this concept is that AD can be triggered by either 1) chemical imbalances in the brain that diabetes in general can cause, 2) insulin resistance that affects the brain, or 3) high blood glucose levels leading to inflammation in the brain which further causes damage to the cells. Diabetes is not the only condition that can cause AD, other conditions of the heart and vessels can lead to another type of dementia called vascular dementia.
Symptoms of type 3 diabetes will often present as symptoms of AD:
- Memory loss impact daily life
- Difficulty carrying out familiar tasks
- Confusion about location, time and date
- Withdrawing from social activities or work
- Mood and personality changes
How can we prevent Type 3 Diabetes?
Although type 3 diabetes might not be an official diagnosis, it can still be the major cause of AD in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is important to control blood glucose levels to prevent not only abnormalities in the brain but in the rest of the body as well, such as, the heart, kidneys and eyes. The best way to prevent type 3 diabetes is to prevent diabetes in the first place by avoiding foods rich in processed sugars and carbohydrates and eating more foods that contain protein and healthy fats. Incorporating exercise into your daily routine is another great way to prevent diabetes as this will allow cells to intake the glucose molecules in the blood and utilize it for energy.
Type 3 diabetes and AD eventually lead to dementia which can cause damaging effects on not only the patients but also their family members as well. Dementia will cause a patient’s health to decline quickly, therefore it is important to understand the risk factors associated with AD to prevent or delay as long as possible. Medications can be used to delay the progression but there is currently no cure for AD and dementia.
Our brains are very dependent on glucose to be able to function. But the main part that needs to be understood is that our bodies have the capabilities to actually produce glucose. Being able to control our diet to avoid processed foods and drinks and getting in exercise daily will allow us to maintain our health and live a life well full-filled.
References:
- Nguyen, T. T., Ta, Q., Nguyen, T., Nguyen, T., & Giau, V. V. (2020). Type 3 Diabetes and Its Role Implications in Alzheimer’s Disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 21(9), 3165. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21093165
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