Doctor: The first symptoms of dementia can appear up to
Doctor: The first symptoms of dementia can appear up to 15 years before diagnosis.
Quiet symptoms can very easily be mistaken for signs of other diseases.
Changes associated with an increased risk of dementia can begin years before the onset of characteristic memory problems. According to Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Annette Bosworth, some metabolic disorders can be detected 10 to 15 years before a clinical diagnosis.
In Stephen Bartlett's podcast The Diary of a CEO, Dr. Bosworth drew attention to insulin resistance and long-term high insulin levels. According to her, early changes do not necessarily start with forgetting, but can be related to the way the body regulates energy and blood sugar.
Scientific data have actually linked type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance to a higher risk of cognitive decline and dementia. However, they are seen as risk factors rather than self-contained early symptoms that can predict for sure whether a person will develop the disease.
When do memory problems become an alarming signal
According to Dr. Annette Bosworth, a more serious reason for attention is the moment when memory disorders begin to interfere with daily activities. As an example, she points to a person who gets confused or loses on a familiar route with the car.
“Patients are coming and they’re starting to say, ‘I was driving that day and I got lost.’ When I hear that, we’re 15 years late for me,” said Dr. Bosworth.
She believes that such manifestations can be preceded by a long period of adverse metabolic changes. Research on dementia has also shown that biological processes associated with certain neurodegenerative diseases can begin long before diagnosis and obvious cognitive symptoms.
What does blood sugar and dementia have in common
Prolonged high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes and associated vascular and metabolic disorders are associated with an increased risk of developing dementia. Therefore, blood sugar control, physical activity, balanced diet, normal blood pressure and maintaining a healthy weight are among the factors that a person can influence.
Dr. Annette Bosworth also draws attention to indicators such as g liquidated hemoglobin (HbA1c), vitamin D levels, and the body's ability to use a variety of energy sources. She points to HbA1c above 5.5%, prolonged vitamin D deficiency and lack of morning ketones as metabolic signals she monitors in her patients.
However, these specific indicators have not been established diagnostic tests for early dementia and do not in themselves prove a starting disease. HbA1c, for example, is mainly used to assess average blood sugar levels and diagnose and monitor prediabetes and diabetes.
Changes such as frequent confusion, loss of familiar places, increasing difficulties with daily tasks or progressive memory problems are the cause of medical consultation. Early evaluation is important not only for detecting a possible cognitive disorder, but also for excluding other conditions that may cause similar symptoms.