Even if not all patients that suffer from Alzheimer's disease show high blood sugar levels and vice versa, not all patients that suffer from diabetes have Alzheimer's disease, more and more scientific studies prove that there is a strong link between diabetes and Alzheimer.

If previous studies have shown that type 2 diabetes is likely to be linked with Alzheimer's disease, a recent study presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Madrid, Spain, show that prediabetes is also linked to this condition.

Prediabetes refers to elevated sugar levels in blood that may lead to diabetes. The difference between normal sugar blood levels and the ones manifested in prediabetes is a slight one. These slightly higher levels of sugar in the blood stream may not cause any further symptoms in a person.

The study carried out by Weili Xu and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm shows that not only diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer's, but the threat begins with high sugar blood levels in one's body. Therefore, the harmful effects of sugar in blood can lead to or worsen Alzheimer's disease before the practical onset of diabetes.

The medical team investigated 1,173 people aged 75 or older that did not exhibit Alzheimer's symptoms. But 47 of the elder individuals had higher than normal levels of blood sugar, yet not suffered from diabetes. The study showed that the subjects with prediabetes proved to have a 70% likely chance to develop Alzheimer in the near future.

However, Dr. Weili Xu stated that old patients that have slightly higher levels of blood sugar than normal can prevent developing more serious diseases (type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's condition) by leading a healthy life based on a healthy diet, exercise and weight loss.