There may be a newly discovered bonus to good blood sugar control: better recall.

Turns out that Alzheimer's disease and the #1 blood sugar disorder, diabetes, share something in common -- something that wreaks havoc on normal brain function: lack of insulin.

Not All in the Genes
A long-term Swedish study revealed that too little insulin ups Alzheimer's risk. Men with low insulin secretion at age 50 had a significantly greater risk of the mind-robbing disease -- as well as other types of dementia -- later in life. One caveat though: The link was strongest in men without the gene that predisposes people to Alzheimer's. (Check your Alzheimer's risk with this quiz.)

What It Means to You
Exactly how an impaired insulin response bumps up Alzheimer's risk isn't clear. But it definitely underscores the importance of diabetes prevention efforts. Get the lowdown on diabetes prevention and care.

Mind Games
Boost your recall and give your noggin a good workout with these games:

• Memory Matrix
• Speed Match
• Daily Word Search

Impaired insulin secretion increases the risk of Alzheimer disease. Ronnemaa, E. et al., Neurology 2008 Apr 9.