Identification

• When a person is suffering from diabetes he cannot create insulin to breakdown carbohydrates such as sugar, bread, pasta and other staples common in most diets.
  
  Doctors prescribe diet and exercise programs to slow the effects of diabetes. In addition to diet and exercise, drugs are prescribed. Insulin is the primary drug used to combat severe cases. Drugs like metformin and glyburide are also used, but in less severe cases. A combination of insulin and metformin or glyburide can also be used to bring blood sugar down in some patients.
  
  

Features

• Scientists examined the brain of several test subjects after their death and made some discoveries. Some of the subjects were diabetic while others were not. Additionally, some of the diabetic patients were on a combination of insulin and either metformin or glyburide to reduce blood sugar levels. Others were using only one of the drugs. A final group was diabetic and not using any drugs. The group of diabetics on a combination of diabetic drugs had fewer to no protein based plaque lesions on the brain. The protein based lesions on the brain are those found in Alzheimer's patients.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Dr. Michal Beeri is the foremost authority on the possible connection between diabetes and Alzheimer's. Her background is in the field of geriatric psychology. Dr. Beeri's work focuses on how the memory works as humans get older.
  
  

Types

• The onset of diabetes occurs in two ways. Sufferers with type I diabetes acquire it at birth. Type II diabetes occurs after years of a diet high in carbohydrates. It is also more likely to happen where there is a family history. There is no study attempting to link type I diabetes to Alzheimer's disease.
  
  

Theories/Speculation

• Determining a definitive link between diabetic drugs and Alzheimer's signals a major milestone towards a cure for Alzheimer's disease. Potential Alzheimer's patients with no history of diabetes have a possible cure in a combination of insulin and metformin or glyburide. Hopefully, further study will yield more answers.