People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes may be at an increased risk of developing plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease, the results of a new study indicate. Deirdre Condon, Irishhealth.com reports:

Insulin resistance, or the stage before diabetes, happens when insulin, a hormone in the body, becomes less effective in lowering blood sugar.

"Type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease are two epidemics growing at alarming levels around the world. With rising obesity rates and the fact that obesity is related to the rise in type 2 diabetes, these results are very concerning," said study author, Dr Kensuke Sasaki, of Kyushu University in Japan.

The study involved 135 people with an average age of 67. The participants had several diabetes glucose tests to measure blood sugar levels. They were also monitored for symptoms of Alzheimer's disease over the next 10 to 15 years. During that time, 16% developed Alzheimer's.

The study found that people who had abnormal results on three tests of blood sugar control had an increased risk of developing Alzheimer-related plaques.

These plaques were found in 72% of people with insulin resistance compared to 62% of people with no indication of insulin resistance.

"Further studies are needed to determine if insulin resistance is a cause of the development of these plaques. It's possible that by controlling or preventing diabetes, we might also be helping to prevent Alzheimer's disease," Dr Sasaki said.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Neurology.