Treat diabetes – stay sane longer

Diabetes accelerates cognitive decline in elderly patients
The degree of dementia correlates with the level of HbA1c in the blood

UNIVADISA study by scientists from the University of California, USA, confirmed that older people with diabetes have much faster cognitive decline than their healthy peers.

The results of the study are published in the journal Archives of Neurology (Diabetes, Glucose Control, and 9-Year Cognitive Decline Among Older Adults Without Dementia).

Researcher Kristine Yaffe and her colleagues set out to find out whether diabetes, and in particular poor control of blood glucose levels, is a risk factor for the development and progression of cognitive decline. Their study involved 3,069 patients from two San Francisco medical clinics, whose average age was 74.2 years. At the beginning of the study, the participants passed 2 tests assessing their cognitive state – 3MS and DSST. Scientists also measured their level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) – a biochemical indicator of blood, reflecting the average blood sugar content over a long period (up to 3 months). The observation of the participants lasted 10 years. At 4, 6 and 10 years of follow-up, cognitive tests and measurement of HbA1c were repeated.

At the beginning of the study, 23.4 percent of the participants had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. After analyzing the initial cognitive tests, the researchers found that participants with diabetes showed worse results than those without diabetes. At the same time, neither gender, nor age, nor race, nor level of education played any role. After 9 years of follow-up, scientists noted significant progress in cognitive decline in diabetics compared to healthy peers. At the same time, the higher the HbA1c level turned out to be, i.e., the worse the participant controlled his blood sugar, the more this condition progressed.

Dr. Jaffe notes that the results of this study echo the results of previous studies, which once again proves the significant contribution that diabetes mellitus makes to cognitive disorders in the elderly. Some scientists attribute this to extensive microinflammation of the blood vessels of the brain, as well as other complications of diabetes – nephropathy, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular diseases, which can also contribute to the progression of cognitive decline. In conclusion, the scientists emphasize that careful monitoring of diabetes will help the elderly to preserve not only health, but also cognitive abilities.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru22.06.2012