Newcastle University. Australia: Researchers in the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre at the University of Newcastle are seeking people with type 2 diabetes to take a new nutritional supplement designed to stimulate blood flow in the brain and reduce the threat of mental impairment.
"We
know that diabetics are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease but
in recent times it's become apparent that they also tend to have
accelerated, age-related cognitive decline," study leader Professor
Peter Howe, from HMRI's Cardiovascular Research Program, said.
"In
other words, their ability to perform certain mental tasks deteriorates
more rapidly than it might in otherwise healthy people, which can also
predispose them to harmful situations like falls where their reaction
time is slower.
"We've
come to realise that cardiovascular diseases and declining mental
health are linked – our high rates of obesity and high blood pressure,
for example, are both associated with impairments in mood and cognitive
performance."
The
team is currently leading world-wide research in demonstrating the
circulation benefits from regular consumption of resveratrol, a
naturally occurring bioactive nutrient found in red wine, grapes and
chocolate and also extracted from Japanese knotweed.
They
are now focusing on the effects of resveratrol on circulation in the
brain, targeting people with type 2 diabetes whose circulatory function
is potentially impaired through high blood sugar levels damaging
endothelial cells within blood vessels.
"We've
been evaluating dietary strategies to improve endothelial function,
using nutrients such as omega 3 fatty acids, flavanols in cocoa and
isoflavones in soy, but this is the first time that anyone has tested
resveratrol on both cognition and circulation in the brain in diabetes,"
Professor Howe added.
"Preventative
strategies are vitally important for an ageing population and we hope
to demonstrate that we can improve blood vessel function and also
improve cognitive performance."
According
to PhD student Rhen Nealon, the study is also aiming to find the
optimal dose of resveratrol to improve cerebral blood flow,
"Study
participants take four different doses throughout the study, one of
which is a placebo, and at the same time they perform computerised and
verbal cognitive tests while wearing a non-invasive ultrasound headpiece
that measures blood flow in real time," Mr Nealon said.
The
study is recruiting men or post-menopausal women aged between 40-80
years who have type 2 diabetes but don't require insulin therapy. They
can phone 4921 8616 or email rhenan.nealon@uon.edu.au for further information.
* HMRI is a partnership between the
University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Health and the community.Contact Phone: 02 4921 5577.