Having Diabetes Can Speed Up Brain Aging, New Study Finds

Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes can speed up brain aging by up to 4 years, a new study finds. But living a healthy lifestyle may help prevent neurological changes caused by these conditions.

The study included more than 31,000 adults 40-70 years of age who underwent MRI brain scans.

Researchers used AI technology to estimate their brain age and found participants with prediabetes had brains that appeared, on average, half a year older than their chronological age.

People with type 2 diabetes had brains that appeared 2.3 years older while those with poorly controlled diabetes had brains that were 4 years older.

The lead author says, “Having an older-appearing brain for one’s chronological age can indicate deviation from the normal aging process and may constitute an early warning sign for dementia.”

But she says there is some good news. Participants who were physically active and didn’t smoke or drink heavily were much less likely to experience accelerated brain aging.

Source: Diabetes Care

Author Affiliations: Karolinska Institutet