Insulin Nasal Spray Advances Cognitive Health of Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: New Experimental Study

Diabetes is a chronic health condition concerning the body's disrupted ability to convert food into energy due to a compromised presence of insulin in the body.

The role of insulin in the body is to help blood sugar enter the body.

The disease has been purportedly known to be notorious for aggravating existing medical conditions, including heart disease and stroke.

One of the reported most overlooked health complications of diabetes is its negative impact on the human brain, marked by conditions like Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline.

Currently, a breakthrough study revealed an insulin nasal spray that is capable of improving the cognitive outcome of diabetes patients.

Insulin Nasal Spray

(Photo : Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

In a new paper published in the Journal of Neurology on April 28, a study assessed the long-term effects of an insulin nasal spray called "intranasal insulin (INI)" on cognitive functions for older people both with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Previous research has also indicated there is a correlation between nasal-based insulin and cognition in older adults.

In the new study, the experimentation of a phase 2 randomized, double-blinded trial called memory advancement (MemAID) highlighted the long-term cognitive health benefits of nasally-administered insulin.

Also Read: Weight Lifting Linked with Lower Diabetes Type-2 Risk in Women

Cognitive Outcome

During the experiment, MemAID with the insulin nasal spray and placebo were used separately for a total of 223 participants between the ages of 50 and 85.

These study subjects were divided into two groups: the first being administered with the nasal spray and the second with placebo only.

After 24 weeks, the diabetes patients who received the nasally-administered insulin showed signs of cognitive improvements in terms of memory and decision making.

Other experimental results showed that these participants showed a faster walking pace, improved blood flow in the cerebral region, and lower insulin resistance.

What is Diabetes?

Over 122 million Americans, including 37.3 million have diabetes, and 96 million with pre-diabetes, have been reported across the United States, according to an estimated tabulation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC underscores that chronic medical conditions can either be type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, explaining the following differences:

Type 1 diabetes - an individual's pancreas under the first category is unable to produce insulin or only produces insignificant amounts of insulin. It can develop at an early age or later in life. This type is also referred to as "insulin-dependent" or "juvenile diabetes."
Type 2 diabetes - insulin resistance defines the second category, which entails the cells inside the body do not respond normally to insulin. The pancreas in this category is working, but it generates excessive amounts of insulin in order for the cells to respond.

The organization stressed that regardless of the forms of diabetes, unregulated medications can result in high blood sugar.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated approximately 422 million individuals globally have diabetes, with an annual average of 1.5 million deaths reported.

Over the past several decades, these cases have continued to increase.

There is currently no known cure or vaccine against diabetes.