May 6, 2024

When Were You Diagnosed With Diabetes? It Could Be the Key to Predicting Your Risk of Dementia

A research study recently launched in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, has actually demonstrated a link between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and an increased danger of dementia as people age. The findings suggest that those who establish T2D at a younger age are at a higher threat of dementia in later years. The authors examined the association of prediabetes with dementia threat before and after accounting for the subsequent advancement of T2D amongst ARIC individuals with prediabetes at standard. They discovered that earlier age of development to T2D had the greatest association with dementia: a 3 times increased threat of dementia for those establishing T2D before age 60 years; falling to a 73% increased danger for those developing T2D aged 60-69 years and a 23% increased danger for those developing T2D aged 70-79 years. At ages 80 years or older, developing T2D was not associated with an increased threat of dementia.

A new research study released in Diabetologia has discovered a strong link in between the early start of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and increased dementia threat in later life. While prediabetes itself was not related to a considerable boost in dementia threat, the development from prediabetes to T2D, particularly at a younger age, considerably increased the opportunities of developing dementia, highlighting the value of avoiding or delaying the beginning of T2D to lower future dementia cases.
Stopping the shift from a prediabetic condition to a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes would lead to a significant decrease in the variety of dementia cases in the future.
A research study recently released in Diabetologia, the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, has actually shown a link between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and an increased danger of dementia as individuals age. The findings recommend that those who develop T2D at a younger age are at a greater risk of dementia in later years. The research study was conducted by Ph.D. student Jiaqi Hu, Professor Elizabeth Selvin from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA, and their group.
The group of researchers explored the correlation between prediabetes and dementia. Prediabetes is an initial stage defined by raised blood sugar level levels that have not yet reached the levels indicative of T2D. While prediabetes locations individuals at a high danger of transitioning into full-blown diabetes, it is likewise individually gotten in touch with various other medical outcomes. The majority of individuals detected with T2D normally experience this prediabetic window phase.
The risk of development to T2D amongst people with prediabetes is substantial; amongst middle-aged grownups with prediabetes, 5– 10% each year go on to establish T2D, with an overall of 70% of those with prediabetes progressing to T2D throughout their lifetime. In the USA, approximately 96 million grownups have prediabetes, representing 38% of the adult population.

To comprehend the threats of dementia related to prediabetes, the authors evaluated data from individuals of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Those registered were aged 45– 64 years in 1987– 1989 and from 4 US counties: Forsyth County, North Carolina; Jackson, Mississippi; residential areas of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Washington County, Maryland. The standard period for the analysis was go to 2 of the research study (1990– 1992), which was the very first time where HbA1c (glycated haemoglobin– a step of blood glucose control) and cognitive function were determined in this research study.
The cognitive function assessments incorporated information from a scoring system including three cognitive tests, administered at visits 2 (1990– 1992) and 4 (1996– 1998), the broadened neuropsychological ten-test collection, administered from go to 5 (2011– 2013) onwards, and informant interview (Clinical Dementia Rating [CDR] scale and the Functional Activities Questionnaire [FAQ]. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was also administered. Individuals were followed up until 2019.
The authors specified prediabetes as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c– a measure of blood glucose control) of 39– 46 mmol/mol (5.7– 6.4%). They also looked at subsequent diagnoses of T2D throughout follow-up.
The authors assessed the association of prediabetes with dementia danger before and after accounting for the subsequent advancement of T2D among ARIC individuals with prediabetes at standard. This was done to comprehend how much of the association of prediabetes with dementia was discussed by progression to diabetes. They likewise evaluated whether age at diabetes diagnosis customized the risk of dementia.
They found that earlier age of development to T2D had the greatest association with dementia: a 3 times increased danger of dementia for those establishing T2D before age 60 years; falling to a 73% increased risk for those establishing T2D aged 60-69 years and a 23% increased danger for those developing T2D aged 70-79 years. At ages 80 years or older, establishing T2D was not associated with an increased risk of dementia.
The authors conclude: “Prediabetes is connected with dementia threat, however this danger is described by the development of diabetes. Diabetes start at an early age is most highly associated to dementia. Thus, avoiding or delaying the development of prediabetes to diabetes will significantly reduce the future problem of dementia.”
Recommendation: “Prediabetes, stepping in diabetes and subsequent risk of dementia: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study” by Jiaqi Hu, Michael Fang, James R. Pike, Pamela L. Lutsey, A. Richey Sharrett, Lynne E. Wagenknecht, Timothy M. Hughes, Jesse C. Seegmiller, Rebecca F. Gottesman, Thomas H. Mosley, Josef Coresh and Elizabeth Selvin, 24 May 2023, Diabetologia.DOI: 10.1007/ s00125-023-05930-7.