Did You Forget Something?

New research shows that high blood sugar can cause memory loss

The next time you can’t remember where you put your keys, you might want to check your blood sugar. A recent study found that when your blood sugar is too high, it affects your “working memory.” This is the memory you use to keep information in your mind for short periods and to complete day-to-day activities (like finding those car keys!)

“We’ve always known that when your blood sugar dips too low, your brain starts to malfunction right away, causing you to lose concentration,” says endocrinologist Larry Merkle, M.D. of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “Now we know that high blood sugar can be just as damaging to brain function - not just in the moment, but over time. We believe that consistent high blood sugar can even cause permanent memory lapses.”

The longer you have your blood sugar under control, the better, Merkle says. “When your blood sugar is under control early on in the disease, your body forms healthy pathways to process sugar,” he says. “Those pathways become hard to disrupt, even if you occasionally lose good sugar control later on, making memory loss and other complications less likely as you age.”

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