Aging is the decay of the structure and function of the body over time at the molecular level. Cells and tissues lose the ability to repair after stress and it increases the risks for other long-term illness and disease. At the cellular level this translates into the consequence of exposure to factors which gradually cause DNA damage and lead to poor cell functioning.
More commonly people associate changes in facial skin to how old a person “looks” versus how well a body is functioning. In a study released by Leiden University Medical Center, researchers found a link between blood sugar levels and their perceived age. (1) The study accounted for other factors, such as BMI, sun exposure and smoking. However, the researchers consistently found that perceived age was higher in those individuals who experienced high blood sugar levels.
The reverse was also found to be true in a study published in the Croatian Medical Journal. Researchers found that plasma glucose in Chinese population living in Hong Kong increased progressively with age in people who were not diabetic. (2)
Other factors that contribute to aging are the diseases that are commonly associated with the elderly. The risks of high glucose include retinal damage to the eyes, arterial blockage, increased inflammation and increased risk of cancer. (3)
Another factor associated with aging is memory and cognition. In a study published from Columbia University Medical Center in New York, researchers found that spikes in blood sugar can negatively impact memory. (4) We form new memories in the area of the hippocampus of the brain. These spikes in blood sugar will affect an area within the hippocampus called the dentate gyrus.
The effects of memory decline are seen even with moderately elevated blood sugar which scientists use to explain some of the “normal” age-related cognitive decline. However, without these spikes in blood sugar because of better dietary control, we can also expect to see a reduction in the memory loss that is currently associated with age but maybe should be associated with nutritional intake.
Links have also been found between people suffering from diabetes and those who suffer from arthritis. Reports from the CDC find that 52 percent of those who have diabetes will also have arthritis, another disease associated with aging. At this time the associated factors between osteoarthritis, or degenerative arthritis, and diabetes are age and weight. Individuals with diabetes do have some accompanying joint symptoms that are the result of their disease.
References:
(1) Unilever: High blood sugar levels make you look older, new research suggests
(2) Croatian Medical Journal: Effects of age on plasma glucose levels in non-diabetic Hong Kong Chinese
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2080461/
(3) American Diabetes Association: Implications of Postprandial Glucose and Weight control in People with type 2 diabetes
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/suppl_2/S322.full
(4) Columbia University: Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center Link Blood Sugar to Normal Cognitive Aging
Resources:
Aging and Disease: Aging Genetics and Aging
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3295054/
Diabetes Care: Postprandial Glucose Improves the risk Prediction of cardiovascular death beyond the metabolic syndrome in the nondiabetic population
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732157/
Harvard: Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/carbohydrates-and-blood-sugar/
University of Maryland Medical Center: Diabetes
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/diabetes
Arthritis Foundation: What is Arthritis
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions-treatments/disease-center/arthritis-and-diabetes/
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