Cognitive Impairment Linked to Diabetes

August 20, 2008

U.S. researchers say those with mild cognitive problems are more likely to have earlier onset diabetes.

The Mayo Clinic study, led by Rosebud Robert, found the rates of diabetes among 329 individuals with mild cognitive impairment and 1,640 participants without mild cognitive impairment were similar.

However cognitive impairment was associated with a greater likelihood of developing diabetes before 65 years of age. The researchers suggest complications of diabetes mellitus may play a role in cognitive impairment.

"Severe diabetes mellitus is more likely to be associated with chronic hyperglycemia or high blood glucose, which, in turn, increases the likelihood of cerebral microvascular disease and may contribute to neuronal damage, brain atrophy and cognitive impairment," the study authors said in a statement.

Individuals with the eye disease diabetic retinopathy were twice as likely to have mild cognitive impairment.

The findings are published in Archives of Neurology.

From	Comment
Elfin	August 28, 2008 4:01 PM Hi I pray that those of us with cognitive and mental difficulties will get all the benefit possible out of the Diabetic Connection family. We will always support you and each other. Personally I think my problems are more with senile dementia. I guess at 74 I am entitled to forget things and lose my mem...uh...uh...what was I saying? LOL Through it all, we can try to keep our spirits up and not be led to depression by this fickle disease called diabetes. Elfin
Punkie200	August 27, 2008 11:39 AM Glad to receive information all the time. Thanks much!
beauty416	August 22, 2008 5:59 PM This is very true. I have diabetes and also have cognitive impairment. I also have a mental health problem to deal with. Anyone with cognitive impairment should have someone to help them.
butterfly_8	August 22, 2008 4:29 PM This I do not understand.I always try to see if any of these causes can fir into my agenda and this one confuses me.