Pensioners with diabetes more likely to experience memory loss

Older people with diabetes are more likely to suffer memory loss and a decline in brain function as a result of stress, according to new research.

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh suggest that higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood can be linked to slowed brain function in people with type-2 diabetes aged between 60 and 75.

In response to the report, a spokesperson for the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust said that the results do not prove conclusively that an increased risk of memory loss is caused by the disease.

She explained: "Diabetes type-1 and type-2 is too complicated an issue and can be affected by many different factors - including the different types of insulin which substantially affect patient's stress levels."

Despite the findings, a separate study recently published in the journal Neurology revealed that diabetes is associated with a lower rate of cognitive decline in people with established Alzheimer's disease.

Diabetes UK warns that there is a correlation between eating habits and the condition, with more than 80 per cent of people diagnosed with type-2 diabetes classified as being overweight.

Waist to Height Ratio is a better predictor of heart disease and diabetes risk than body mass index (BMI), according to new research. British scientists analysed a team of 300,000 people, and found that Waist...

Only one in five people in the UK eat the recommended five portions of fruit and veg a day, according to a new poll. The YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults, carried out for the World Cancer Research...

The number of people dying from cancer in their 50’s has fallen to its lowest record level. Figures from Cancer Research UK show a 40 per cent drop in cancer deaths among 50 to 59 year olds. Now, 185 in...

Experts at Oxford University have recommended a 20 per cent fat tax on sugary drinks to help with the UK’s obesity crisis. A recent study published in the Lancet Journal warned that almost half of British men...

A survey by Macmillan Cancer Support has revealed that people are often unprepared for the financial cost of cancer. Research by Macmillan Cancer Support has shown that the average cancer patient in Wales...