A new Mayo Clinic study found that individuals with earlier onset, longer duration and greater severity of diabetes appear to be more likely to have mild cognitive impairment. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a transitional stage between normal aging and the earliest features of Alzheimer’s disease.
“There is an obesity epidemic in this country. Since obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, this study provides more evidence of the importance of reducing obesity,” said Rosebud Roberts, M.D., a Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and author of this study. “If we can reduce the rate of diabetes in the population, hopefully we can also reduce the rates of mild cognitive impairment, and eventually, Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.”
As part of the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, nearly 2,000 healthy individuals aged 70 to 89 years from Olmsted County, Minn., were studied. Rates of diabetes were similar among 329 individuals with mild cognitive impairment and 1,640 individuals without mild cognitive impairment. However, mild cognitive impairment was associated with diabetes complications, developing diabetes prior to age 65, having diabetes for more than 10 years and being treated with insulin.
This study was published in the August issue of Archives of Neurology.
View an abstract of the paper at: http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/65/8/1066
View the Archives of Neurology news release at: http://pubs.ama-assn.org/media/2008a/0811.dtl#5
Dr. Roberts provides an overview of this study:
Thank you for this article as it drives home the point that we should face up to this challenge in a more serious manner. I agree with the author that reducing obesity will help as it will for one thing reduce the risk for diabetes which will then lessen the chance of developing mild cognitive impairment.
Evelyn
http://www.free-symptoms-of-diabetes-alert.com (If you want to visit, just click but if it doesn’t work, copy and paste it onto your browser.)
A new Mayo Clinic study found that individuals with earlier onset, longer duration and greater severity of diabetes appear to be more likely to have mild cognitive impairment.
So smart at food habits and physically more active can reduce the chances of diabetes and its complications including cognitive impairment. Very useful article for people with diabetes http://healthy-ojas.com/diabetes/diabetes-details.html