Diabetes Status Negatively Alters Cognitive Ability in Older Adults

A study published in Diabetes Care determined older adults who have had diabetes for at least five years and have HbA1c levels above 7 percent are more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia than those with shorter diabetes duration and lower HbA1c concentrations, reports Healio . The researchers found 1,781 out of 5,099 participants had diabetes at baseline, including 1,276 with HbA1c of less than 7 percent and 459 with HbA1c higher than 7 percent. The risk for having any form of cognitive impairment at follow-up was greater for those with diabetes and an HbA1c level of 7 percent or higher, versus non-diabetics. Similar dementia risk factors were seen for those who presented with MCI, although these did not achieve significance. MCI development during follow-up also was more probable for diabetic participants deemed "cognitively normal" at baseline, as well as for those with HbA1c of 7 percent or more. "The link between diabetes and dementia is well-documented, but progression from normal cognitive function to mild cognitive impairment and then on to dementia is less well-studied," said Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Professor Elizabeth Selvin. "Our results suggest that improving diabetes control in late life may help stave off cognitive impairment."