A report published in the April 29 online edition of Radiology indicates people with type 2 diabetes may lose more brain volume than is expected as they age. Diabetes is associated with an increased risk for stroke and dementia, he said. Until now, doctors have thought these risks were likely related to blood vessel damage related to diabetes.

"Diabetes is already known to be not good for brain, likely due to blood vessel damages. But our study suggests that there is additional damage to the brain which may be more like a brain disorder such as Alzheimer's disease," said lead researcher Dr. R. Nick Bryan, a professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perleman School of Medicine in Philadelphia. He adds "So there may be two ways diabetes affects the brain, damage to blood vessels and brain-cell degeneration."

The brain shrinkage seen in this study may be linked with how sugar is used by the brain, Bryan said.

"It is important that patients understand the adverse effect of their disease on their brains and cooperate with their doctors who are trying to treat their diabetes and prevent the effects of diabetes on the brain and other organs," he said. Dr. Souhel Najjar, director of neuroscience and stroke at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City said, "Given the increasing public health burden of type 2 diabetes, the findings of this research are very important as they link diabetes directly to brain atrophy, underscoring the importance of primary prevention and early management of diabetes in reducing the burden of dementia, particularly in older population."