Diabetes, prediabetes and poor glucose control in people with diabetes are risk factors for cognitive decline. Poor glucose control can cause damage to organs in the body including the brain. Compared with older adults without diabetes, older people with type 2 diabetes are almost twice as likely to develop cognitive decline.
Moreover, research suggests that people diagnosed with diabetes in midlife are more likely to experience significant memory and cognitive problems during the next 20 years than those with healthy blood glucose levels.
A 2014 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that diabetes appears to age the mind roughly five years faster beyond the normal effects of aging. For example, on average, a 60-year-old with diabetes experiences cognitive decline equal to that of a healthy 65-year-old aging normally.
What Is Cognitive Decline?
Cognitive impairment or decline is when a person has trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect their everyday life. Cognitive impairment ranges from mild (MCI) to the more serious decline of dementia.
With MCI, people may begin to notice changes in cognitive functions beyond common age-related changes. Severe levels of impairment can lead to losing the ability to understand the meaning or importance of something and the ability to talk or write, ultimately resulting in the inability to live independently.
What is the Link Between Cognitive Decline and Diabetes?
Uncontrolled blood glucose in diabetes is a risk factor for vascular complications such a nephropathy—diabetic kidney disease and retinopathy—diabetic eye disease. High glucose levels cause damage to the small blood vessels in the kidney and eye.
Research suggests that elevated glucose levels are also associated with damage to the small blood vessels in the brain. The risk of these complications can be reduced with good blood glucose control.
How Can You Preserve Cognitive Function?
You can preserve cognitive function by prevention or control of diabetes and high blood pressure, reduction in smoking, increase in exercise and eating a healthy low-fat diet. If you have prediabetes losing at least 5 percent of body weight – just 10 pounds in someone weighing 200 pounds – can help avoid diabetes and cut the risk.
If you already have diabetes, checking your blood glucose often and writing down the results will tell you how well you are managing your diabetes. Generally, blood glucose should be monitored two to four times a day, either before meals or two hours after meals and at bedtime. But each case is unique. Talk to your doctor and diabetes educator about how often you should check your blood glucose.
The American Diabetes Association guidelines for optimal blood glucose control to prevent complications are:
Before meals 70 mg/dl – 130 mg/dl
1 to 2 hours after meals less than 180 mg/dl
Set your individual goals with your doctor and diabetes educator. Click here to find a diabetes educator near you.
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