"Even people who study diabetes may not always consider the impact of insulin in the brain," says Rita Kalyani, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "But insulin does play a role in the formation of synapses, storing memories, and other brain functions."
Studies have linked insulin levels with appetite, energy balance, and body temperature too.
It appears that diabetes and insulin problems may be connected to a higher risk of serious conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Could diabetes-related insulin problems play a role in causing these conditions?
People with diabetes seem to have a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease.
They may have a higher risk of Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease too.
Insulin problems seem to be connected.
Studies have found that insulin levels in certain regions of the brain associated with memory are much higher in healthy people than in people with Alzheimer's disease.
In people with Alzheimer's disease, a protein called beta-amyloid builds up, forming plaques on the brain. Abnormal insulin levels may make it harder for the body to break these plaques down.
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