“Brain Function and Stupid Studies”
Studies on brain function and risk of dementia are of considerable interest, but studies can be misleading or even worthless. All studies must be scientifically evaluated and one should never accept the “headline” without looking carefully at the integrity of the story it is associated with. An estimated 5.2 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or some other form of dementia and since it is predicted to be on the increase and those numbers will jump to 13.8 million by 2050. And, 1 in 3 seniors dies with (not necessarily from) Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia. So, related studies are of interest. A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine claims, “Higher blood-sugar levels, even those well short of diabetes, seem to raise the risk of developing dementia.” These results challenge current thinking by showing that it’s not just the high glucose levels of diabetes that are a concern. Yet, the investigators conclude, “”We don’t know from a study like this whether bringing down the glucose level will prevent or somehow modify dementia.”
