A type 1 diabetic mystery is why do some Type 1s get complications and others seem to never get them? A massive Japanese study of Type 1 diabetics found that those with fulminant diabetes developed complications much faster and more severely than those with non-fulminant diabetes.

The difference between fulminant and non-fulminant is the speed and intensity at which the disease develops. Fulminant Type 1 diabetes typically develops suddenly with near total loss of beta cell function. This type of diabetes is confirmed with testing c-peptide levels. Non-fulminant type 1 diabetes has residual c-peptide levels that eventually taper to undetectable. Sometimes this is seen through many years of the Honeymoon Period.

This study may be the antithesis of conventional wisdom for preventing complications. Staking all hopes on blood sugar control is heavily optimistic. Yes controlling blood sugar does lessen the workload for existing beta cells, and thus extends the lifespan of each beta cell. Research suggests that c-peptide offers protection to beta cells, both from apoptosis (cell death) and encourages new cell growth. This new cell growth applies to beta cells and other cells of the body that endure long-term Type 1 diabetes complications.

Diabetics are instructed that maintaining normal blood sugars is the Holy Grail of preventing long-term complications. Yes and no. The truth is controlling your blood sugar will not allow complications of Type 1 diabetes to develop as quickly, presuming you still had some level of beta cell function upon diagnosis (i.e., c-peptide). That doesn't sound like a reward as much as it does a delayed punishment. I'd like c-peptide with my insulin, please. It's off the à la carte menu? That's fine - serve it up! I want to thank Klausen for bringing this study to my attention.

Here's some uplifting news for elderly diabetics -- the condition does not increase the likelihood that they'll develop Alzheimers disease, according to a report in the medical journal Neurology.

The data came from the Religious Orders Study, which included 1,000 older religious clergy (nuns, priests and brothers). The goal of the Religious Orders Study is to evaluate the transition from a normal functioning brain to the mild cognitive impairment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. The participants agreed to an evaluation each year and brain donation after death. Of the 233 autopsied participants, researchers found just over one third had one or more cerebral infarctions, and patients with diabetes were about 2.5 times more likely than others to have cerebral infarction. A cerebral infarction, also called a stroke, is a life-threatening condition marked by a sudden disruption in the blood supply to the brain The levels of Alzheimer-type damage were similar between subjects with and without diabetes.

Understanding the results of this study may contribute toward decreasing the effects of diabetes on the brain. Since cerebral infarctions primarily affect muscular coordination, and Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease (muscular and memory) - the results of the Religious Orders Study support the hypothesis that diabetes is not linked to Alzheimer's in seniors. Should old acquaintances be forgotten, and never brought to mind? Not due to diabetes. Happy New Year!

Well not exactly, but the headline was attention-grabbing, no? Dementia and other brain-related illnesses can be exacerbated by diabetes and obesity.

An expert on Alzheimer's disease at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore says "when it comes to keeping the brain healthy, adding extra pounds may be a double-edged sword. It's not only a risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes, but also a trigger for Alzheimer's disease."Researchers in Chicago studied 842 older Catholic nuns, priests and brothers who had diabetes. None had any sign of Alzheimer's disease at the start, but nine years later, 151 had developed this disease. Another study in the Archives of Neurology in 2004 claimed those with Type 2 diabetes had a 65 percent greater chance of developing Alzheimer's disease. Type 2 diabetes increases this risk because excess weight causes not only diabetes, but also insulin resistance.

Speaking from experience, I can tell if my blood sugar is too high I cannot think as clearly or as quickly. On the flipside, if my blood sugar is too low-I have been known to become nonsensical, directing primitive attacks at inanimate objects (and sometimes the occasional family member). So it would make a world of sense that diabetes can affect brain function, leading to brain-related illnesses. Food for thought.