Should dietary restrictions be imposed on Alzheimer's Disease patients affected by type 2 diabetes?

Abstract

Introduction: Antidiabetic drugs, reduction of carbohydrates intake, maintaining normal weight and physical activity are the cornerstone of diabetes 2 treatment.

Methods: This opinion article is not intended to challenge hundreds of studies unequivocally demonstrating the benefits of a healthy lifestyle including appropriate diet in controlling the consequences of T2DM. The article questions whether the benefits of dietary restrictions for the management of T2D in older adults who are already demented, are worth the potential detrimental effects on quality of life for the patients and their caregivers, as well as the effects of dietary restrictions on frailty, sarcopenia.

Discussion: However, the benefit of dietary restrictions including carbohydrates restrictions, might not manifest in elderly Alzheimer and vascular dementia patients with type 2 diabetes. On the contrary, such restrictions might hinder the patients' and caregiver's quality of life and encumber attempts to maintain normal weight in a population which tends to be underweight. Therefore, the benefit/risk ratio of dietary restriction should be weighed in this population on an individual basis.