People with Type 2 Diabetes at Double the Risk for Alzheimer’s Diabetes may be linked to the buildup of tangles or tau in the brain, separate from AlzheimerÛªs disease, according to a new study published in the online version of Neurologyå¨, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. ÛÏEvidence shows that people with type 2 diabetes have double the risk of developing dementia,Û said study author Velandai Srikanth, MD, PhD, from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. The study involved 816 people with an average age of about 74. Of those, 397 had mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia, 191 had AlzheimerÛªs disease dementia and 228 people had no memory and thinking problems. A total of 124 of the participants had diabetes. The study found that those with diabetes had greater levels of the tau protein in the spinal and brain fluid irrespective of the diagnosis of dementia. Greater levels of tau in spinal fluid may reflect a greater build-up of tangles in the brain. These tangles may eventually contribute to the development of dementia. Researchers noted that because the study looked at participantsÛª data at one point in time, it does not determine whether there is a cause-and-effect relationship between diabetes and the brain tangles. Diabetes can be controlled through lifestyle so in essence you can reduce your risk by 50%!