Study Links High Blood Sugar to Accelerated Brain Aging

Researchers from Jilin University and China Medical University analyzed brain MRI scans of more than 37,000 adults from the UK Biobank using machine‑learning models to estimate each person’s "brain age." The analysis identified blood glucose as the strongest blood marker associated with older‑appearing brains. Participants with higher long‑term glucose levels consistently showed brains that appeared significantly older than their chronological age, even after adjusting for other factors.

Genetic testing supported a direct role for glucose in brain aging, and the elevated glucose group also faced higher risks of Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, depression and anxiety. Additional correlations included poorer cognitive performance, reduced mobility, worse mental health and smaller brain regions on MRI. The authors stress that controlling blood sugar through diet, exercise, weight management and medical treatment may help protect brain health, although causal proof that lowering glucose slows brain aging remains pending.