Blindness, renal failure, stroke and heart disease are potential complications of type 2 diabetes, which currently afflicts more than 15 million Americans.
Now research from Tel Aviv University has found more worrying news ¯ type 2 diabetes can be a risk factor accelerating cognitive decline and dementia.
Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaffe, a physician and researcher from TAU's Sackler School of Medicine, found that people with diabetes were 1.5 more likely to experience cognitive decline, and 1.6 more likely to suffer from dementia than people without diabetes. Her recent publication in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that higher-than-average levels of blood glucose (blood sugar) may have a role in this relationship.
Her work is part of the ongoing Memory in Diabetes (MIND) project, a sub-study of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial.
First Step Towards New Treatments
"Our results send an important message to the public," says Dr. Cukierman-Yaffe. "We have shown conclusively that there is a relationship between diabetes and cognitive dysfunction. This should be known by diabetics and their doctors. Knowledge is the first step towards action.
"Intact thinking is essential for managing the disease," Dr. Cukierman-Yaffe adds.
Clinicians today work with the patient to prevent complications of diabetes. Early detection of visual problems, for example, can be treated with laser surgery if diagnosed early enough, and blindness can be avoided in some cases.
"Today, diabetes cannot be cured. We can however delay or prevent many of its complications," says Dr. Cukierman-Yaffe. "Diagnosing cognitive dysfunction at a pre-clinical stage is the first step in finding new treatment options."
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