New Study Reveals How to Prevent Brain Aging Accelerated by Diabetes

prevent brain aging diabetes

A significant investigation leveraging brain MRIs from over 31,000 adults reveals that type 2 diabetes and prediabetes might accelerate brain aging.

Individuals with diabetes, particularly those with poorly managed conditions, exhibited brain characteristics suggesting they were markedly older than their chronological age.

However, adopting a healthy lifestyle—such as engaging in regular physical activity and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption—may help alleviate these effects.

The Connection Between Diabetes, Prediabetes, and Brain Aging

While type 2 diabetes is already recognized as a risk factor for dementia, the specific impact of diabetes and its precursor stage, prediabetes, on brain aging in non-demented individuals has been less clear.

This extensive brain imaging study now highlights that both diabetes and prediabetes are correlated with accelerated aging of the brain.

This study incorporated data from over 31,000 participants, aged 40 to 70, who were part of the UK Biobank and had undergone brain MRI scans.

The researchers employed a machine learning technique to estimate brain age relative to the individual’s chronological age.

The Influence of Diabetes Control on Brain Aging

Findings indicated that prediabetes and diabetes were associated with brains that appeared 0.5 and 2.3 years older than their chronological age, respectively.

For those with poorly controlled diabetes, the brain appeared over four years older than their chronological age. Additionally, the gap between brain age and chronological age slightly widened over time in individuals with diabetes.

However, these associations were less pronounced in people who maintained high levels of physical activity, refrained from smoking, and avoided heavy alcohol use.

Study Outcomes and Future Directions

“An older-appearing brain relative to one’s chronological age might suggest deviation from the typical aging process and could serve as an early indicator of dementia,” explains Abigail Dove, the study’s lead author and a PhD candidate at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society, Karolinska Institutet. “On a hopeful note, it appears that individuals with diabetes can potentially improve their brain health through healthy lifestyle choices.”

Some participants had repeat MRI data available, and follow-up scans are currently ongoing. Researchers continue to explore the long-term relationship between diabetes and brain aging.

Implications for Prevention and Management

“Given the high and increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the population,” says Abigail Dove, “we aspire that our findings will aid in preventing cognitive decline and dementia in individuals with diabetes and prediabetes.”

Reference

“Diabetes, prediabetes, and brain aging: the role of healthy lifestyle” by Abigail Dove, Jiao Wang, Huijie Huang, Michelle M. Dunk, Sakura Sakakibara, Marc Guitart-Masip, Goran Papenberg, and Weili Xu, 28 August 2024, Diabetes Care. DOI: 10.2337/dc24-0860

This study received principal funding from the Swedish Alzheimer’s Foundation, the Dementia Research Fund, the Swedish Research Council, and Forte (the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare). No conflicts of interest have been reported.