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What Causes Poor Memory When Suffering From Diabetes?
Question: I am worried about my husband and not sure what to do. He is on diabetic medicine and also cholesterol. My question is he is getting so forgetful. Not just little things day to day and some days doesn't realize if he has to work the next day. My problem is I can not get him to go back to the doctor. But, I cannot distinguish whether it is the diabetes, his alcoholism or if he is getting Alzheimer's. I just don't know what to do.
Brief Answer:
Could be due to dementia
Detailed Answer:
Hello Thanks for asking from Health Care Magic
He is 64 years old and is on medicines for Daibetes and increased cholesterol. He is showing symptoms like getting forgetful on day to day things. He is not getting ready to visit a doctor.
Diabetes is a disorder of glucose metabolism. Chronic diabetes increases the risk of cognitive impairment in elderly if we compare them with non-diabetic persons. He is also on cholesterol medicines. Hypercholesterolemia is also an independent risk to increase cognitive impairment. His symptoms like forgetfulness in day to day things and even failing to do work properly should not be taken a benign senile forgetfulness. All symptoms are most likely part of Mild Cognitive Impairment. Thought diagnosis of Alzheimer's at this stage is a little early.
Mild cognitive impairment is early stage of dementia. In this stage individuals start showing loss of memory in day to day routine but still they are able to function normally.
I would advise you to take him to a Neuropsychiatrist for evaluation. MMSE (mini mental status examination) is a test that is used in detecting cognitive impairment. The test is a question based test and takes only 5-10 minutes. But he is not getting ready to visit a doctor. You can ask him to visit for evaluation only. Tell him that there is no need to take medicines just some life style changes will help him. Hopefully this will make him ready to visit doctor.
Also get his HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) levels checked. The levels tell long term control of sugar. If levels come normal then there is need to consult his physician also. Poorly controlled sugar level will increase his cognitive impairment rapidly.
To improve cognition you can do following measures at home-
- Ask him to avoid alcohol.
- Playing Sudoku, Crosswords or puzzles games help in decreasing the impairment. Puzzle books for elderly are available at common book stores.
- Tea/coffee and especially green tea result in improving the symptoms.
- Omega 3 acid soft gels are also useful.
- Some herbal supplements like Mentate can be given. The drug is a herbal preparation (I am not sure about availability in stores but can be found online stores) and I have observed good results with this drug in my patients.
Hope this helps you. Thanks
If you have more doubts you can ask again.
Could be due to dementia
Detailed Answer:
Hello Thanks for asking from Health Care Magic
He is 64 years old and is on medicines for Daibetes and increased cholesterol. He is showing symptoms like getting forgetful on day to day things. He is not getting ready to visit a doctor.
Diabetes is a disorder of glucose metabolism. Chronic diabetes increases the risk of cognitive impairment in elderly if we compare them with non-diabetic persons. He is also on cholesterol medicines. Hypercholesterolemia is also an independent risk to increase cognitive impairment. His symptoms like forgetfulness in day to day things and even failing to do work properly should not be taken a benign senile forgetfulness. All symptoms are most likely part of Mild Cognitive Impairment. Thought diagnosis of Alzheimer's at this stage is a little early.
Mild cognitive impairment is early stage of dementia. In this stage individuals start showing loss of memory in day to day routine but still they are able to function normally.
I would advise you to take him to a Neuropsychiatrist for evaluation. MMSE (mini mental status examination) is a test that is used in detecting cognitive impairment. The test is a question based test and takes only 5-10 minutes. But he is not getting ready to visit a doctor. You can ask him to visit for evaluation only. Tell him that there is no need to take medicines just some life style changes will help him. Hopefully this will make him ready to visit doctor.
Also get his HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) levels checked. The levels tell long term control of sugar. If levels come normal then there is need to consult his physician also. Poorly controlled sugar level will increase his cognitive impairment rapidly.
To improve cognition you can do following measures at home-
- Ask him to avoid alcohol.
- Playing Sudoku, Crosswords or puzzles games help in decreasing the impairment. Puzzle books for elderly are available at common book stores.
- Tea/coffee and especially green tea result in improving the symptoms.
- Omega 3 acid soft gels are also useful.
- Some herbal supplements like Mentate can be given. The drug is a herbal preparation (I am not sure about availability in stores but can be found online stores) and I have observed good results with this drug in my patients.
Hope this helps you. Thanks
If you have more doubts you can ask again.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Ashwin Bhandari
Answered by
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