Scientists have found that Alzheimer’s may actually be a late stage of Type 2 diabetes. The extra insulin produced by those with Type 2 diabetes gets into the brain, disrupting its chemistry, which can lead to the formation of amyloid proteins associated with the disease. “The discovery could explain why people who develop T2 diabetes often show sharp declines in cognitive function, with an estimated 70 per cent developing Alzheimer’s – far more than in the rest of the population,” said Ewan McNay at Albany University in New York. McNay suggests that, in people with Type 2 diabetes, the body becomes resistant to insulin so the body produces more of it. However, some of that insulin also makes its way into the brain, where its levels are meant to be controlled by the same enzyme that breaks down amyloid. “High levels of insulin swamp this enzyme so that it stops breaking down amyloid. The findings also suggest that losing weight and exercising may ward off Alzheimer’s, at least in the very early stages, researchers said. Funny how it always comes down to the basics! Diet and exercise.