FRIDAY, May 19, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Glucose peaks are associated with cognitive decline and dementia among individuals with diabetes, according to a study published online May 12 in Diabetes Care.
Andreea M. Rawlings, from the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and colleagues examined the correlation between glucose peaks in midlife with the risk of dementia and 20-year cognitive decline among nearly 13,000 participants from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study. Glucose peaks were determined by measurement of 1,5-anhydroglucitol (1,5-AG) level, which was dichotomized at 10 µg/mL.
The researchers found that dementia developed in 1,105 participants over a median of 21 years. Each 5 µg/mL decrease in 1,5-AG correlated with increased estimated risk of dementia among persons with diabetes (hazard ratio, 1.16; P = 0.032). Compared to those without peaks, those with glucose peaks had a 0.19 greater z score decline over 20 years for cognitive decline among participants with diabetes and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) <7 percent (P = 0.162). Compared to those without glucose peaks, those with glucose peaks had a 0.38 greater z score decline among participants with diabetes and HbA1c ≥7 percent (P < 0.001). No significant correlation was seen for those without diabetes.
"Among participants with diabetes, glucose peaks are a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia," the authors write. "Targeting glucose peaks, in addition to average glycemia, may be an important avenue for prevention."
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