Diabetes and Dementia

Filed in archive Developments , Research on August 8, 2010

© DerrickT

In the absence of a cure for cognitive impairment, researchers have recently found that interventions for diabetes prevention could be an effective way of reducing dementia.

Karen Ritchie, PhD (French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) in Montpellier) and colleagues, reported in the British Medical Journal:

Diabetes was one of four potentially modifiable factors that, if eliminated or improved, would reduce rates of dementia in the general population.

The percentage of dementia cases that hypothetically would be avoided if diabetes were eliminated was 4.9%.

The proportion of cases that would be eliminated with a higher score on a measure of intellectual exposure, elimination of depression, and increased fruit and vegetable consumption was 18.1%, 10.3% and 6.5%, respectively.

Even though causal relations cannot be concluded between this association with diabetes and dementia, the above mentioned study suggests to prioritize diabetes-related public health programs.