summary: New research has revealed that elevated blood sugar levels can have a negative impact on brain health, even in people without diabetes. The study showed that connectivity in brain networks associated with cognition, memory, and emotional regulation is reduced, and the effects are stronger in older people and women.
Increased blood sugar levels were also associated with lower heart rate variability, an indicator of brain health. These findings highlight the importance of managing blood sugar through a healthy diet, regular exercise, and health checkups to support both body and brain health.
Important facts:
- Hyperglycemia reduces connectivity in brain networks important for cognition.
- Elderly people and women were more affected by elevated blood sugar levels.
- Lower heart rate variability is associated with brain health and correlates with higher blood sugar levels.
sauce: baycrest
The Baycrest study found that high blood sugar levels can impair brain health even in people without diabetes.
The link between blood sugar and brain health in people with diabetes is well-documented, but Baycrest is the first to examine this link in people without diagnosed diabetes.
“Our results show that even in people who have not been diagnosed with diabetes, blood sugar levels may already be high enough to negatively impact brain health,” said the study’s lead author, Rotman Research. said Dr. Jean Chen, a senior researcher at . Institute that is part of the Baycrest Academy of Research and Education (BARE).
“Blood sugar levels exist on a spectrum. It’s not a black and white classification of healthy or unhealthy.”
The study, titled “The Association Between Glycemic Control, Cardiac Variability, and Autonomic Function in Healthy Individuals: Age- and Sex-Related Differences,” was recently published in the journal Neurobiology of aging They tested 146 healthy adults aged 18 and older.
The researchers analyzed each individual’s blood sugar levels, brain activity from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, and heart rate variations from electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements.
“The results of this study highlight the importance of managing blood sugar levels through a healthy diet and exercise, not only for the body but also for the brain,” said Baycrest Canada Research Chair in Aging Neuroimaging. said Dr. Chen, who is also a professor of biomedical physics. at the University of Toronto.
“It’s also important to get tested regularly and work with your health care provider, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with prediabetes.
Main research results
- Elevated blood sugar levels were associated with decreased connectivity in brain networks. These networks play important roles in all aspects of cognition, including memory, attention, and emotional regulation.
- This effect was stronger in older adults, but was present in all age groups. Older adults generally had higher blood sugar levels than younger adults.
- Additionally, the effect was stronger for women than for men.
- Additionally, there was a link between increased blood sugar levels and decreased heart rate variability, or the beat-to-beat change in an individual’s heart rate. Previous research has shown that greater heart rate variability is associated with better brain health.
In future studies, researchers may further explore ways to improve brain function by changing heart rate variability. Heart rate variability is a more likely target for intervention than blood sugar levels, especially for non-diabetics.
Funding: This study was conducted using data from the Leipzig Study for Mind-Body-Emotion Interactions (LEMON) dataset. This research was funded by the Canadian Health Research Agency and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
About this brain health research news
author: Natasha Nasevsky Laird
sauce: baycrest
contact: Natasha Nasefsky Laird – Baycrest
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Open access.
“Associations between glycemic control, cardiac variability, and autonomic function in healthy people: age- and sex-related differences” by Gene Chen et al. Neurobiology of aging
abstract
Associations between glycemic control, cardiac variability, and autonomic function in healthy people: age- and sex-related differences
introduction
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between blood glucose and autonomic nervous system (ANS) function, as assessed by resting-state functional connectivity (FC) and heart rate variability (HRV).
method
Data for this study were drawn from the Leipzig Mind-Body-Emotion Interaction Study, which included 146 healthy adults (114 young and 32 elderly). Variables of interest were glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), resting state FC (S-CAN) and salience network (SN) in central autonomic salience aspects, and HRV (RMSSD and high-frequency HRV (HF-HRV)). did.
result
HbA1c was inversely correlated with FC in S-CAN but not in SN. HbA1c was inversely correlated with HRV. Both RMSSD and log(HF-HRV) were correlated with FC of S-CAN and SN. Age (not gender-related) differences were observed in the Hb1Ac-FC association (stronger in older adults), and gender (not age-related) differences in HRV-FC (stronger in women).
conclusion
These findings extend the diabetes literature on the relationship between blood glucose and brain function to healthy adults. Age- and gender-related differences in these relationships highlight the need to consider the potential effects of age and gender in future research.
