self care
One explanation is high insulin
or BGLs damage blood vessels in
the brain, causing brain cells to
become starved of oxygen and
nutrients, and eventually die.
Diabetes may also contribute
to the build-up of plaques and
things called ‘protein tangles’
in the brain that increase risk.4
250 Australians join the
‘dementia population’
every day. Dementia is also the
second leading cause of death for
Australians and costs the nation
more than $15 billion a year.5
Most types of dementia
can’t be cured. So while
there are ways to manage the
condition, it’s important to do
what you can to reduce your risk.
The key things you can do are to
monitor and manage your BGLs,
blood pressure and cholesterol
level as well as possible, and totake any medication you’ve been
prescribed as instructed.6
There’s an app that can
help you lower your risk.
Developed by Dementia Australia
and the Bupa Health Foundation,
BrainyApp (brainyapp.com.au)
is a fun way to help you look
after your brain health.7
Early detection and
treatment are vital.
Symptoms include forgetting
recent events, conversations or
appointments; confusing times or
places; losing things frequently;
becoming lost when out; and a
reduced ability to do known tasks.
In addition, people who have
diabetes can experience weight
loss, find diabetes tasks difficult
to perform, and suffer worsening
blood glucose levels and frequent
hypos. If you notice any of these,
talk to your doctor. ■1
People living with
diabetes are, on average,
twice as likely to develop
dementia. The chance of
developing dementia is about
10 per cent for people living
without diabetes, rising to 20
per cent for those living with it.2
The diabetes-related
dementia risk is higher
for some types of dementia.
Dementia is an umbrella term for
a collection of symptoms caused
by more than 100 diseases that
affect the brain. A recent study
showed having diabetes increases
the risk of Alzheimer’s by as much
as 65 per cent, while the risk of
developing what’s called vascular
dementia climbs by 138 per cent.3
Researchers still
don’t know exactly
why diabetes increases
the risk of dementia.& DEMENTIA
DIABETES
NEED-TO-KNOW FACTS ABOUT
Diabetes increases
the risk of dementia.
Discover some
surprising facts
and how to avoid
becoming a statistic
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