Type 2 diabetes reduces quality of life and researchers have now found that it may also decrease certain cognitive abilities, known as executive functions.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with bad performance on cognitive tests, measuring abilities involved in the control of emotions, behaviour and thought, the findings showed.
"This facet of brain function is particularly important because we rely on it when we are attempting to behave in a way that is contrary to our natural inclinations or what the environment impels us to do," said lead author Corrie Vincent from the University of Waterloo in Canada.
Another new study published online and in the January edition of the journal Diabetic Medicine found that young people from South Asia are twice as likely to develop Type 2 diabetes compared to their Caucasian counterparts. South Asians face triple the chances of Chinese Canadians.
The study led by Providence Health Care in BC found that the majority of young people under 30 with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which, unlike Type 1, is caused mostly by obesity and physical inactivity and was previously linked to older adults.
Dr. Calvin Ke, one of the study authors, says urgent action is needed to prevent Type 2 diabetes among youth who are being diagnosed as early as age 20, though screening for the disease doesn't start until age 40.
The study says 62 per cent of white youth with diabetes have Type 2, while in South Asians that number rises to 86 per cent and in Chinese youth it is 87 per cent.
Senior author Dr. Nadia Khan says although the study did not look at the causes of rising rates of youth diabetes, obesity, high-calorie diets laden with sugar and sedentary lifestyles are likely responsible.
In the university of Waterloo study researchers reviewed 60 studies, comparing 9,815 individuals with type 2 diabetes to 69,254 controls without it and examined their performance on measures of executive function.
"Essentially people with type 2 diabetes may be hit with the double whammy of having more need for executive control but - possibly because of the disease's effect on the brain - less intact resources for exerting it," senior author Peter Hall, professor at the University of Waterloo, added.
Approximately 600 million people live with type 2 diabetes worldwide, with nearly 800 million cases expected by 2030, making it one of the greatest global health concerns of modern times.
"Fortunately, there are a few things that can help optimise the brain structures that support executive function," Hall said.
"Aerobic exercise and cognitively challenging activities - such as learning new things, solving difficult puzzles and other problem solving activities - all help to keep your brain sharp," said Hall.
The study appeared in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Type 2 diabetes is a disease in which your pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or your body does not properly use the insulin it makes. As a result, glucose (sugar) builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy.
Your body gets glucose from foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, milk and fruit. To use this glucose, your body needs insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body to control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood.

The good news

You can live a long and healthy life by keeping your blood glucose (sugar) levels in the target range set by you and your health-care provider.