Dive Brief:
- According to a new study, published in Neurology, patients diagnosed with diabetes experience significant cognitive decline within a two-year period.
- In a controlled study involving 65 patients, patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) had a 12% reduction in thinking and memory test scores.
- The average age of the patients was 66.
Dive Insight:
Using several assessment methods, including MRI scans, cognitive function tests, blood-flow tests and tests to meaure tissue inflammation and brain volume, researchers concluded that diabetes-related cognitive decline was due to impaired blood flow. Specifically, they found that patients with T2DM had a 65% decrease in blood flow regulation and a 50% decline in vasoreactivity. The conclusion was that hypreglycemia created the context for this type of dysfunction. The takeaway here is that early detection and blood-flow regulation monitoring are important---as is effective treatment as early as possible post-diagnosis.