Health
Cognitive decline associated with adult-onset diabetes starts early
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 19, 2009
Patients who develop type 2 diabetes in middle and old age have poorer executive function and think more slowly than those without this disease. These cognitive differences also occur early in the disease process and persist as patients age, says a study in the January Neuropsychology.
Researchers analyzed data on 41 adults with diabetes and 424 without. All were ages 53 to 90. Memory and verbal fluency were similar in both groups, but executive function and semantic speed were reduced in those with diabetes.
The authors are calling for cognitive monitoring of those with adult-onset diabetes. They also urge programs to educate patients on ways to compensate for any lack in this area.
"Speed and executive functioning are thought to be among the major components of cognitive health," said Roger Dixon, PhD, one of the authors and a professor of psychology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. "There could be some way to compensate for these declines, at least early and with proper management."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/01/19/hlbf0119.htm.
