In Part II of his Aging Well series, Dr. Frank Comstock looks at the role glucose plays in accelerating the aging process.
Our brains depend on a constant supply of glucose to function. We think and feel better when blood glucose levels are controlled. However, elevated glucose levels harm the body in a number of ways. High glucose levels damage cells via a process called glycation. Glycation occurs when glucose combines with proteins in cells and disrupts cell function. The glaze on a honey baked ham is an example of glycation. But, what's good for the ham is not so good for the human.
Cataracts--the cloudy haze of the lens--is one way we can experience glycation, wrinkling is another. The glucose literally "gums up the works" and by doing so, increases the risk of many diseases and greatly accelerates the aging process. The glycation process results in injury to blood vessels throughout the body. The organs supplied by these injured blood vessels will suffer damage in the form of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and blindness. High glucose levels leads to high insulin levels and all the health problems associated with that (see: How to Slow the Aging Process). It is crucial to control our blood glucose levels.
Next: Health problems associated with high glucose levels
High glucose levels lead to glycation Glycation injures cells throughout the body Glycation produces Advanced Glycation End Products "AGES" "AGES" = ACCELERATED AGINGBlood glucose levels are monitored with blood tests called "fasting glucose level" and "hemoglobin A1C" Healthy aging goal: fasting glucose level between 70-90 mg/dl Hemoglobin A1C less than 5mU/ LA thought provoker: Cancer cells require high glucose levels to survive.The Research on High Glucose Levels and Diabetes Men with type 2 diabetes reached moderate-risk for heart disease at an average age of 39 years, compared to age 55 for non-diabetics. The high risk category was reached at age 49 for diabetic men, compared with age 62 for non diabetic men. Diabetes shortens life expectancy by 18 years. Women with glycosylated hemoglobin (measure of blood glucose control) of 7 percent or higher were four times more likely to develop cognitive impairment or dementia than women who tested at less than 7 percent. (Good reason to put the soda away!)High sugar consumption increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. Those who consume soft drinks at least twice per day almost doubled their risk of pancreatic cancer. People who put sugar in coffee five times daily increased risk of pancreatic cancer by 70 percent.
Recent study showed that patients with heart disease had significantly higher levels of glucose and insulin. In a study of 2,440 non-diabetics followed for a 5 year period, people with fasting glucose levels of greater than 100, but less than 125 were found to have nearly triple the risk for heart disease as those people with fasting glucose levels of less than 86. Multiple studies find that the lower the blood glucose, the lower the risk of heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, and cancer. High insulin and high glucose levels increase rate of cancer. Studies find that diabetes and poor glucose control are the rule among patients with cardiovascular disease. Two thirds of patients with cardiovascular disease have abnormal glucose values. In a study of 7027 women with an average age of 66 years, it was found that women with poor glucose control tend to have poorer mental function than those with normal blood glucose levels, and are at a greater risk of cognitive decline over time. John Hopkins researchers found that the blood test hemoglobin A1C (a marker of long-term blood glucose level) is an independent predictor of heart disease risk in both diabetics and non-diabetics. A mouse model of human breast cancer demonstrated that tumors are sensitive to blood glucose levels. The study found that the lower the blood glucose level, the greater the survival rate. An epidemiological study in 21 countries revealed that sugar intake is a strong risk factor that contributes to higher breast cancer rates, particularly in older women. A study in The New England Journal of Medicine reveals that aggressively lowering a persons blood glucose level and cut the risk of heart attack and stroke nearly in half. A UCLA study finds that for men with cardiovascular disease, the lower the blood sugar, the better. Their death rate over a two-year period increased from slightly more than 4 percent at a glucose level of 70 to more than 12 percent at a glucose level of 100. An American Diabetes Association study reports that the current diabetes epidemic costs $174 billion a year. The study reports that the incidence of diabetes has increased dramatically; there are 1 million new cases per year. In addition, diabetes killed over 284,000 Americans in 2007. Research shows individuals who develop type 2 diabetes have a 2-fold increased risk of stroke within the first 5 years of diagnosis compared with the general population. Study shows that high levels of glucose deactivate the gene that controls the amount of testosterone and estrogen in the bloodstream. HEALTH PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH GLUCOSE LEVELSHEART DISEASE CANCER CATARACTS KIDNEY DISEASE STROKE PERIPHERAL VASCULAR DISEASE OBESITY ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE Dr. Frank Comstock, a ThirdAge Expert Voice, is board certified in Anti-aging Medicine. This article was excerpted from Anti-Aging 101. For more information about Dr. Comstock, visit his Expert Voice page.
