Diabetics have a higher risk of dementia

Dangerous combination

Dangerous combination: Increased risk for diabetics of dementia and depression

06/19/2013

Diabetics are much more likely to suffer from dementia or depression than other people. Experts warn against the dangers of this vicious circle.

Risk of brain damage from diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is spreading more rapidly in Germany. In Germany meanwhile nearly nine million humans are to be affected. The unreported number of unrecognized cases is expected to be around four million. The risk for type 2 diabetics of developing vascular dementia is up to four times higher than in people without metabolic disease. And Alzheimer's dementia occurs with them 1.5 to twice as often, according to the German Diabetes Association (DDG) on Tuesday in Berlin. These are the results of several studies. Patients may experience severe hypoglycaemia due to incorrect administration of insulin, which may lead to further brain damage that can accelerate dementia. In order to standardize and improve the therapies of those affected, the DDG presented a so far unique guideline under the title: „Psychosocial and diabetes.“

Depression is twice as common in diabetics
Diabetics are also affected by depression above average. In contrast to the normal population of about ten percent about twice as strong, so Johannes Kruse of the University Hospital Giessen and Marburg (UKGM). It often comes to a kind of vicious circle: „On the one hand, depression increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, the burden of physical illness goes hand in hand with the development of depressive symptoms.“ The doctors therefore point out that in all these cases, early psychotherapeutic support, possibly supplemented with medication, is important. The president of the DDG, Erhard Siegel, warned: „If the mental illness in diabetes patients goes undetected, a good diabetes attitude is made difficult. A shortened life expectancy is the result.“ Mental illness and diabetes favored each other. That's why Siegel emphasized: „Somatic and psychosocial factors are equally important for therapy and long-term prognosis.“

Jdi diabetics pose the greatest dangers
It has long been known that women are much more affected by eating disorders than men. Studies by researchers at the University of Leipzig have shown that the female population is affected five times more often. But also in diabetes patients eating disorders occur frequently. Physical and mental illness often cause each other. For example, depression could be the result as well as the cause of diabetes. On the one hand, depressive people, on average, move less, eat less healthy and become more overweight, increasing the risk of developing diabetes. On the other hand, the metabolic disease can simultaneously trigger depression.
Both together can have fatal consequences. An equally dangerous combination often occurs in young women who have diabetes, when eating disorders are added. Thus warns Stephan Herpertz of the Ruhr University Bochum: „If the blood sugar value and weight in a young patient fluctuate greatly, a bulimia nervosa should be considered.“ In bulimia, there is a loss of control of food intake and to counteract the excessive calories, many affected deliberately injected too little insulin to lose weight. This can have enormous consequences for future health, because there is a risk of so-called diabetic late damage. In the long term, this could have a dramatic effect on the eyes, kidneys and nerves.
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Picture: Bernd Kasper