{"id":10363,"date":"2025-11-14T10:00:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=10363"},"modified":"2025-11-12T21:11:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T21:11:11","slug":"type-3-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flushinghospital.org\/newsletter\/type-3-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"Type 3 Diabetes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the body doesn\u2019t produce enough insulin or can\u2019t use the insulin it produces effectively. <\/span>There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Another type of diabetes is g<\/span>estational diabetes, which develops exclusively in pregnancy when blood sugar levels are too high.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, another type of diabetes, type 3 diabetes, has been linked to Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Insulin helps control blood sugar levels by enabling glucose to enter cells. Insulin also affects metabolism, nerve cells, how neurons communicate, and the brain\u2019s cognitive functions.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When a person develops insulin resistance, it can reduce the supply of glucose to the brain and cause changes to the protein involved in the development of dementia called tau. Additionally, the brain can become damaged, and the connection between the regions of the brain can be weakened when it doesn\u2019t receive a sufficient amount of glucose. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Type 3 diabetes occurs when the brain becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. This insulin resistance is believed to lead to symptoms that are commonly associated with Alzheimer\u2019s disease. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is important to note that type 3 diabetes isn\u2019t officially recognized by the American Diabetes Association and other major health organizations. However, some experts have called Alzheimer\u2019s disease type 3 diabetes because of the pathological implications that address a major decrease in glucose levels and how that affects brain cognition and memory.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Researchers call Alzheimer\u2019s type 3 diabetes due to the similar features that are present in diabetes, memory deficits, and a decline in thinking abilities in older adults. A study in 2020 listed the potential risk factors for developing type 3 diabetes, such as:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n