Is Brain Volume reduced with diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is associated with a number of other health complications, but a new study  appearing  in the online edition of Radiology, and reported by HealthDay, suggests that people with type 2 diabetes may lose more brain volume than is expected as they age.

Although common wisdom is that the shrinkage of blood vessels is usually associated brain-related health conditions such as strokes or dementia, but with Type 2 diabetes as a factor, the actual cause may be related to how the brain handles excess sugar.

It appears that there may be two ways diabetes affects the brain, damage to blood vessels and brain-cell degeneration.  Nearly 26 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. In Type 2 diabetes, the body often doesn't use insulin efficiently, leading to an excess of both insulin and blood sugar.

The brain shrinkage seen in this study may be linked with how sugar is used by the brain. The study determined that the longer a patient had Type 2 diabetes, the more brain volume loss occurred, particularly in the gray matter. Gray matter includes areas of the brain involved in muscle control, seeing and hearing, memory, emotions, speech, decision-making and self-control.

The study would suggest that clients closely monitor blood sugar levels and follow their physician’s orders on diabetes control.  Home care aides can assist in ensuring compliance and assessing blood sugar levels to help reduce the potential harm to the brain.
Communication with family and medical personnel is vital in sugar levels and medication compliance. 

Richard Ueberfluss, PT

www.assistinghands.com/naperville 

Are Polypharmacy and medication compliance related?

According to Reuters Health, which reported on a study by from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago published in “Patient Education and Counseling,” miscommunication between healthcare providers and patient concerns over drug interactions lead to many seniors having an unnecessarily complicated medication regimen.

The report suggests that the more complicated the drug routine, the more likely doses and medications will be overlooked. For example, if a patient is prescribed three medicines that are each supposed to be taken twice per day, it’s likely they can be taken together each time.

The study’s team found that 85 of the participants – just over 42 percent - were following a medicine regimen that could be simplified. Of these, 53 participants, or more than one quarter, could cut the number of times they took their medicines by once per day; and 32 participants, or 16 percent, could reduce that number by at least two times each day.

“The team also identified the most common reasons for an overly complicated medication routine. One was patients’ concerns about interactions between food and medicines, and between different medicines. Another was misunderstanding medication instructions given to the participants by healthcare providers like pharmacists or physicians.”

Study authors recommend that patients should check with their doctor before changing the way they take their medicines, but the results of the study show the importance of a discussion between patients and providers about the logistics of taking necessary medicines.

A good way to start is for caregivers to spend the day with a loved one and review their drug regimen.  If a patient is taking too many medications, or the regimen seems too complicated, a discussion should take place with a physician or pharmacist.

Our home health aides can play a role in medication management and help ensure compliance. Richard Ueberfluss, PTwww.assistinghands.com/naperville