Thinking blurs when blood sugar strays
By Nathan Seppa
Once assumed to pose mainly long-term health risks, hyperglycemia–or too much sugar in the blood–also can slow mental capacity in the short term, according to a new study. Other work shows low concentrations of sugar in the blood, leaving a person weak and groggy, can impair driving.
Researchers recruited 105 people with type I, or juvenile-onset, diabetes to follow a daily routine that included monitoring their blood sugar and self-assessing how clearly they were thinking. For a month, participants recorded their physical condition on a hand-held computer.