Having hypoglycemic (low blood sugar level) episodes that are severe enough to require hospitalization are associated with a greater risk of dementia for older adults with type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the April 15 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Rachel A. Whitmer, Ph.D., of Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, Calif., presented the findings of the study at a JAMA media briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Hypoglycemic episodes may include dizziness, disorientation, fainting or seizures. While most hypoglycemia is mild and self-managed, more severe hypoglycemia can require hospitalization. Although some studies have reported an association between history of hypoglycemia and impaired cognitive functioning in children and young adults with type 1 diabetes, no studies have evaluated whether or to what extent hypoglycemic episodes are a risk factor for the development of dementia in populations of older patients, who are more likely to have type 2 diabetes than type 1. "With the increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes worldwide, and potentially of hypoglycemia and dementia among patients with diabetes, the relationship between these conditions should be evaluated," the authors write.
Dr. Whitmer and colleagues conducted a study to determine whether prior episodes of hypoglycemia that required hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visits are associated with an increased risk of dementia. The study, that included 22 years (1980-2002) of follow-up for hypoglycemic episodes and more than 4 years (starting in 2003) of follow-up for diagnosis of dementia, included 16,667 patients with type 2 diabetes (average age, 65 years).