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High Blood Sugar, As Well As Low, Slows the Mind
High Blood Sugar, As Well As Low, Slows the Mind -- Posted by Gumbo on 01-15-05 05:43
High Blood Sugar, As Well As Low, Slows the Mind
Virginia researchers say a temporary rise in blood sugar levels in people
with diabetes can inhibit their ability to think quickly and solve problems.
Dr. Daniel J. Cox stated that, "most people with diabetes are aware of
problems when their blood sugar levels drop too far." However, patients also
often report not feeling well when their blood glucose levels are high." But
lacking "a clear theory as to why that happens, patient complaints were
typically being ignored," he said.
While laboratory studies have shown that mental performance declines when
blood glucose is artificially raised, "this is not a realistic environment,"
the researcher added.
Cox, at the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, and his
colleagues therefore conducted a field study with 196 subjects with type 1
diabetes and 34 with type 2 diabetes.
The team instructed the participants to complete tests assessing verbal and
mathematical skills using hand-held computers immediately before routine
self-monitoring of blood glucose, three to four times daily. Approximately
half the subjects made more errors and had slower responses when blood
glucose exceeded a certain point, the researchers reported.
Cox pointed out that to avoid a drop in performance associated with low
blood glucose, people often load up on carbohydrates before "cognitively
sensitive procedures," such as exams.
"But they in fact could be doing themselves a significant disservice," he
said, and would perform better by avoiding both high and low extremes of
blood glucose levels.
Roughly 55 percent of the people in the study showed signs of cognitive
slowing or increased errors while hyperglycemic, suggesting that the
consequences of hyperglycemia vary among individuals.
However, among those whose cognitive performance deteriorated when blood
sugar levels rose, the negative effects consistently appeared once levels
reached or exceeded a certain threshold.
Diabetes Care, January 2005.
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