What are the long-term effects of type 3 diabetes?

Although a "type 3" diabetes isn't officially recognized in main stream western medicine yet, research is now coming to light that might tie diabetes and Alzheimer's disease together. The term "type 3 diabetes" was originally coined by the Brown University medical research team in 2005.

The pancreas isn't the only organ that produces insulin.

Recent research done at Northwestern University has uncovered a substance known as 'Amyloid beta oligomers" (ADDL's) which interfere with neuronal insulin receptors in the brain and nervous system. The pancreas was once believed to be the only organ that produced insulin but research has shown it is also produced in the brain. Cells blocked by the inhibitor ADDL show a lack of neural communication with other cells.

Type 3 Diabetes may actually be Alzheimer's Disease.

It has been determined that the brain produces a small amount of insulin. without this small amount of insulin production, the brain starts showing early-stage Alzheimer's Disease symptoms according to the Brown University Medical Team. The 'type 3' form of diabetes, ironically, doesn't affect blood sugar levels.

Diabetes patients have always had a link to Alzheimer's Disease.

Diabetes patients have always run a 65 percent higher chance of contracting Alzheimer's disease. Patients with type 2 diabetes have been observed to have a protein deposit in their pancreas similar to the protein deposit found in the brains of Alzheimer's patients.

Brain insulin is crucial to brain survival

The insulin produced by the brain is involved with the longevity of cells located within the hippocampus, or memory center, of the brain. If the type of insulin produced by the brain isn't consistent these cells die. These cells are the same as dead cells found in cadavers of Alzheimer's patients.

Alzheimer's Disease may be treatable soon.

While Alzheimer's disease is being understood as type 3 diabetes, researchers are now able to take a new approach to not only Alzheimer's disease itself, but also diabetes in all of its forms. Neuro-degenerative and insulin-resistance conditions of all sorts have become just another step closer to being cured.

Source

New England Journal of Medicine

Insulin receptors in the brain

"Is There a Type 3 Diabetes?" from January of '09