Individuals with type 2 diabetes are less likely to experience accelerated brain ageing if they follow a healthy lifestyle, new evidence has revealed.
Researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have found that a low intake of alcohol, frequent exercise and not smoking can prevent people with type 2 diabetes suffering from accelerated brain ageing.
During the trial, the team of scientists estimated the brain age of more than 31,000 adults from the UK Biobank, all of whom had undergone a brain MRI scan.
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They found that the participants with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes had brains that were up to 2.3 years older than their actual age.
In addition, they discovered that the brains of those with poorly managed type 2 diabetes were roughly four years older than their actual age.
However, the participants with type 2 diabetes who followed a healthy lifestyle had a lower brain age, according to the findings.
First author Abigail Dove said: “Having an older-appearing brain for one’s chronological age can indicate deviation from the normal ageing process and may constitute an early warning sign for dementia.
“On the positive side, it seems that people with diabetes may be able to influence their brain health through healthy living.”
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The research team will carry on looking at the link between type 2 diabetes and brain ageing by assessing MRI scans over time.
Abigail Dove said: “There’s a high and growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes in the population. We hope that our research will help prevent cognitive impairment and dementia in people with diabetes and prediabetes.”
Read the full study in the journal Diabetes Care.
