Has Your Loved One Has Lost Ground Mentally After Hospitalization? It May Be the Anesthetic

The authors might consider the possibility that hypoglycemic episodes during and immediately post surgery could contribute to this problem.  People undergoing surgery receive nothing my mouth for a prolonged period before surgery, then receive minimal glucose during and after, not nearly enough to provide for the basal metabolic rate, much less the additional caloric needs related to tissue damage and repair.  It is not the norm, but perhaps should be, to monitor the patient's glucose before, during and after surgery until eating by mouth is reestablished.  This should be considered in light of recent research published in JAMA April 15, 2009 by Whitmer and others, showing the a single significant episode of hypoglycemia in diabetics is associated with a higher risk of dementia.  This could hold true for non-diabetics as well, particularly people who are APOE4.  Mary T. Newport, M.D. preemiedoctor@aol.com

Reference:  "Hypoglycemic Episodes and Risk of Dementia in Older Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus," RA Whitmer, et. al., JAMA April 15, 2009 Vol 301, No. 15 p 1565-1572

S&m,

This article has me worried.Comment?

Dad

My husband had quintuple bypass in 1997 and recuperated beautifully from it.  However,  several years later his mitral valve was found to be leaking causing several side effects.  At that point his memory was starting to deteriorate and no doctor would operate to close the leakage in the valve.   I asked for details as to why they would not operate and was told that giving a patient with some memory loss anesthesia for surgery would act to hasten the memory loss to a worse state.  He is now 87 and living with the leaking valve controlled by various drugs.   Unfortunately, his memory has deteriorated into dementia, but he did have several years before that occurred.