Memory and type 2 diabetes

According to a recent study at Columbia Medical Center in New York, type 2 diabetics could face a greater chance of developing cognitive impairments and Alzheimer’s than non-diabetic people.
The study ran between 1992 and 2003, and assessed the rate at which cognitive dementia overtook people over the age of 65. They found that type 2 diabetic people had a higher risk of acquiring cognitive impairments, influencing their thinking and learning capabilities. Type 2 diabetics were found to be particularly likely to face amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
The study assessed over 900 individuals, all of whom were dementia-free when they enrolled. Researchers administered tests every 18 months to work out changes in learning, memory, language and reasoning.
Jose A Luchsinger, M.D, reportedly commented: “This is another piece of evidence that cognitive impairment, including that related to Alzheimer’s disease and cerebrovascular disease, can be caused by diabetes . Given the epidemic of diabetes in the U.S. and [the world], the possibility of cognitive impairment as a complication seems another good reason to prevent diabetes.”