Type II diabetes leads to the loss of cognitive abilities

How does diabetes affect the cognitive functions??

Researchers found that when people have diabetes, it can promote long-term cognitive decline. Poor blood sugar control seems to affect the decline in brain function in later life.

Researchers from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London and researchers from the Beijing University Clinical Research Institute found in their recent research that diabetes may indicate long-term cognitive decline. The experts published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Diabetologia".

Blood sugar control affects cognitive decline

The research involved a total of 5,189 men and women with a mean age of 66 years. The study found that the diabetes disease promotes a long-term cognitive decline in those affected. The study supports investigations that have already established a link between diabetes and cognitive performance. This seems to be due to an association between overall glycemic control and a subsequent risk of cognitive decline.

Data came from the Longitudinal Study of Aging

The data used in the current study come from the English "Longitudinal Study of Aging". The information collected is actually used to study the aging process, including life expectancy and health patterns. The scientists now evaluated the cognitive functions from the records of the second survey wave of the database from 2004 to 2005. From then on, the experts analyzed the new data every two years, up to the seventh wave of the survey, from 2014 to to the year 2015.

Higher levels of glycated hemoglobin resulted in negative effects

During the study, researchers monitored the levels of glycated hemoglobin (also known as HbA1c, a measure of glycemic control) in the participants. The baseline glycated hemoglobin levels were also recorded. The researchers found that higher levels of glycosylated hemoglobin are strongly associated with a higher rate of memory loss, executive functions, and cognitive function. The results remained statistically significant even when factors such as age, sex, body mass index, alcohol consumption and heart disease were taken into account.

Results support the association of diabetes with a subsequent cognitive decline

In addition, scientists also found that a higher level of HbA1c was directly associated with a higher rate of cognitive decline. This was independent of whether the participants suffered from diabetes or not. The study provides evidence supporting the association of diabetes with subsequent cognitive decline, study author Dr. Wuxiang Xie. In addition, the results show a linear correlation between circulating HbA1c levels and cognitive decline, regardless of diabetic status, adds the expert.

How do I lower my risk for type 2 diabetes and cognitive impairment??

There are several ways in which you can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cognitive impairment. These include healthy body weight, a healthy and balanced diet, restriction of alcohol intake, abstinence from smoking, regular exercise and control of blood pressure, the experts explain.

Further studies are needed

Interventions that delay the onset of diabetes, as well as management strategies for blood glucose control, could reduce the progression of subsequent cognitive decline in the long term, explain the physicians. However, further studies are needed to determine the long-term effects of maintaining optimal glycemic control on cognitive decline. (As)