Insulin and Alzheimer's.
Jeff
6 Comments
A few posts ago I began compiling a list of diabetics who have gone missing. About ten different cases will be kept on the list at any given time, and others that have been there for longer periods will be 
included on a new page that I'll be linking to soon. Again, if you hear of a PWD who has suddenly disappeared, and his or her name is not on the list, please drop me a note through the "Contact me" link on this page.
Reading through the related news articles I noticed that some of these folks are also said to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Here's a brief report on research being done in Sweden concerning the possible link between the two conditions.
Have a great weekend, everyone, especially you hearty souls (one of whom I wish a very Happy Birthday today) who are finally getting your first taste of spring after a long, long winter.
Reader Comments (6)
Well gee, thanks!
Have a GREAT day, Colleen.
I've been reading on the diabetes-alzheimer's link, but didn't make the connection to the missing diabetics. I recently saw a news report on bracelet gps devices they're using some places in Canada for people that have a tendency to wander. Hopefully as that becomes more commonplace, we'll see fewer people with age-related diseases lost.
Interesting thought. I wonder though if there's a distinction between types; look at all the long-term Type 1s on the OC, who seem to have no complications and no evidence of Alzheimer's. And I know one example does not a rule make, but my uncle who was dx'd with Alzheimer's a few years ago never had diabetes or any blood sugar issues. Hmmm...
Laura -- The article on the research doesn't address missing people, but some of the missing diabetics who are listed here in the left margin (Frye, Hicks, and Palmer,) are described as possibly having dementia. I may have erred in the common misconception that dementia and Alzheimer's are precisely one and the same. Apparently, such is not always the case, and this link helps to clear up that fine point:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dementia/AZ00003
The bracelet GPS concept is interesting, and I'll be eager to learn more about it as it gains traction. Thanks, and have a great weekend.
Kathy -- Good point. The article mentions "mid-life diabetes," and also "low insulin secretion," but doesn't seem to spell out T1 or T2 specifically.