For a report in the journal Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, researchers collected data from 500,000 individuals ages 40 to 69. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and diabetes diagnoses were used to define different categories of diabetes. (HbA1c is a measure of an average of blood sugar levels over three months.)

The scientists found prediabetes and known diabetes increased the rate of vascular dementia by 54 percent. Known diabetes was associated with a 91 percent increase in Alzheimer’s disease risk. Prediabetes and known diabetes elevated the risks for cognitive decline by 42 percent and 48 percent, respectively.

The authors concluded, “Both prediabetes and known diabetes are harmful in terms of [vascular dementia], cognitive decline, and [Alzheimer’s] risks . . . Low normal HbA1c levels . . .are associated with more favorable brain health outcomes . . .”

Currently, two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and one-third are obese. When I was a child, there were very few overweight children in school with me. Now we have a juvenile obesity epidemic. As a result, there is an epidemic of diabetes.

Simply put, we eat too much sugar and refined food. We can’t continue on this path. Diabetes and the consequences of diabetes will eventually overwhelm our healthcare system.

Your doctor should be checking your HbA1c on a regular basis. Maintaining a HbA1c of less than 5.7 percent of total hemoglobin is optimal.