Evidence has shown a strong link between type 2 diabetes and the development of AD, the most common form of dementia. The term type 3 diabetes has emerged as a way to acknowledge how strong the association is between uncontrolled blood sugar and Alzheimer’s disease.
No medical organization recognizes the term type 3 diabetes, and it is not a term that would be used in any official diagnosis. Your healthcare provider will likely refer to your Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes separately but may potentially speak to the conditions’ theorized relationship.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease that causes high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), insulin resistance, and widespread changes to the brain. These changes may make you more susceptible to developing Alzheimer’s disease, which is why some researchers refer to it as type 3 diabetes.
If you notice changes to your memory and cognition, your healthcare provider may recommend diagnostic testing.3 While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease—or the type 2 diabetes that may be linked to it—your healthcare provider may recommend treatment to manage your symptoms.
Type 3 Diabetes Symptoms
Type 3 diabetes is another term for Alzheimer’s disease, meaning the symptoms are the same as those of AD. Type 3 diabetes also suggests that type 2 diabetes is linked to AD, meaning that you would also experience symptoms of type 2 diabetes. That means type 3 diabetes encompasses both neurological and diabetes-related symptoms.
Cognitive or Behavioral Changes
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, chronic neurodegenerative disease. Loss of memory or changes to cognitive ability are common symptoms of AD. These aren’t typical changes caused by aging. Instead, these symptoms can dramatically affect your ability to work and take care of yourself.
With Alzheimer’s disease, you may:
- Forget important dates or events
- Repeat questions in a short period
- Have a hard time paying bills
- Become confused driving to a favorite location
- Have a hard time reading
- Misplace objects
Alzheimer’s disease can make it difficult to join in a conversation. You may have a hard time speaking or struggle to behave appropriately. Some people avoid social interactions because of these changes. It’s not uncommon to become anxious or depressed during this time.
Diabetes-Related Symptoms
Symptoms of diabetes develop when your body has difficulty maintaining its blood sugar levels. Symptoms usually appear slowly over time, so you may not notice them immediately. Symptoms may also come and go as your blood sugar levels rise or fall.
If your blood sugar is high, you may notice:
- Increased urination
- Increased thirst
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fatigue
If your blood sugar is low from oral medication (taken by mouth) or lack of insulin, you may experience:
- Blurred vision
- Shaking or sweating
- Dizziness
- Irritability or confusion
Other symptoms of diabetes include:
- Delayed wound healing
- Frequent infections
- Dry skin
- Numbness in your hands or feet
The Connection Between Diabetes and Alzheimer’s
Researchers believe inflammation in the brain may be the link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. This inflammation happens early in the AD process.
If you have diabetes already, your body can become resistant to insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar). This resistance can cause increased levels of toxic fats to build up, leading to inflammation in the brain, reduced brain function, and the death of some brain cells. Together, these factors may cause Alzheimer’s disease.
Insulin resistance may cause oxidative stress—an imbalance of oxygen and nitrogen—in the brain that could lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Oxidative stress causes the cells in your brain to die prematurely and increases inflammation in your brain. Your brain uses about 20% of your body’s oxygen, making it particularly sensitive to this kind of stress.
Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) are modified lipids (fats) and proteins that are created from sugar in your body. They’re created as a normal part of the aging process, but people with diabetes accumulate them faster.
Once formed, AGEs can harm your organs through oxidative stress. These molecules may play a role in forming amyloid plaque and tau protein, which are typical brain changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease.
How Is Type 3 Diabetes Diagnosed?
If you’re experiencing signs of Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes, your healthcare provider may recommend diagnostic testing for both conditions. After a physical exam and review of your medical history, your provider will likely check for signs of memory impairment or brain changes and measure your blood sugar levels.
When diagnosing for Alzheimer’s disease, your healthcare provider may recommend the following tests:
- Cognitive, functional, and behavioral tests: Standardized tests with questions that evaluate memory, thinking, and your ability to solve simple problems
- Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) test: CSF, a clear fluid around the brain and spinal cord that may be present in different amounts among people with AD, is drawn from your lower back and measured
- Biomarker blood test: A blood test used to measure markers believed to be associated with AD
- Brain imaging: Scans like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) used to check for changes in the brain
When diagnosing for type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider may order any of the following blood tests:
- A1C test: A blood test that measures your average blood sugar level over the past three months
- Fasting blood sugar test: A blood test that measures your blood sugar overnight after not eating
- Glucose tolerance test: A blood test that measures your blood sugar after fasting overnight and consuming a sugar drink at different time points
- Random blood sugar test: A quick test that randomly measures your blood sugar throughout the day
Can Type 3 Diabetes Be Reversed?
Type 3 diabetes is not reversible. Your healthcare provider will recommend separate treatments for your Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes that aim to manage the conditions and prevent them from worsening.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, but medications focus on slowing the progression of the disease or managing symptoms.
Since most people with AD will experience neuropsychiatric symptoms like agitation or obsessive behavior, educating caregivers on supportive measures for these symptoms is one way to help manage the disease.
Your healthcare provider may recommend anticholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept (donepezil) to help control symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Namenda (memantine) is another medication that may reduce cognitive decline. Prolonged treatment may support modest improvement of symptoms or slow the overall decline. A significant improvement in symptoms is rare.
Diabetes is managed through diet, exercise, and medications. Some people may be able to manage their diabetes by reducing their sugar intake and increasing their physical activity, but many people need medication.
Your healthcare provider may recommend insulin to lower your blood sugar. Several types of insulin work at different speeds and for different durations. Some people use a needle to inject their insulin, while others use a pump, which gives small doses of insulin throughout the day to maintain a steadier blood sugar level. Your healthcare provider will determine which type of insulin is best for you.
You may need to take a pill for diabetes. Oral medications lower your blood sugar differently than insulin. It’s not uncommon to use multiple medications to control blood sugar levels.
Prevention
Alzheimer’s disease and the type 2 diabetes that may increase your AD risk are not always preventable. You can try to reduce your risk of diabetes-associated AD by taking steps to prevent diabetes or, if you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes, managing your diabetes.
You can try to prevent type 2 diabetes by eating a balanced diet, getting regular physical activity, and losing weight (if your healthcare provider recommends this).
If you already have type 2 diabetes, diet, exercise, weight loss, and medication can be key to management.12 The goal is to maintain your blood sugar, which can hopefully reduce complications.
Related Conditions
By definition, type 3 diabetes is the association of Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes. Alzheimer’s disease is related to other conditions, too. Certain conditions can worsen your memory or behavior if you have Alzheimer’s disease, including:
- Dehydration
- Thyroid deficiency
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Urinary tract infections
- Anemia
- Sleep disturbances
Your healthcare provider may work to manage these underlying conditions to improve your overall condition. These are typically temporary changes that can be managed.
Living With Type 3 Diabetes
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease, meaning it gets worse over time. You may go from forgetting the name of someone you just met to forgetting facts about yourself to being unaware of recent happenings. Eventually, you can lose the ability to communicate or perform daily tasks like getting dressed on your own.
The rate at which AD worsens varies from person to person. Treatment might be able to slow the progression. Most people live an average of four to eight years after their AD diagnosis, but some people might live as long as 20 years.
If you have AD, you should also stay on top of managing any other conditions you might have, including type 2 diabetes.
While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, research into possible treatment continues. In fact, the link between type 2 diabetes and AD may have an influence on treatment. There are several clinical research trials studying the use of antidiabetic medications for Alzheimer’s disease.
Also, different types of insulin are being studied to evaluate whether they can possibly reverse some of the symptoms caused by AD.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Type 3 diabetes is an unofficial term for Alzheimer’s disease and is used to acknowledge the fact that type 2 diabetes may be linked to AD risk. Type 3 diabetes is said to be related to the brain, but it is not a recognized type of diabetes like type 2 diabetes.
Increased blood sugar levels over time may increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease
There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational. There are other types of diabetes, though, including neonatal diabetes and steroid-induced diabetes. Type 3 diabetes is not an officially recognized type of diabetes.
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