Altschul DM, et al. - Researchers assessed if the cognitive function in early and later life, and decline in cognitive function from age 70 to 79 years, were linked with high blood glucose, as measured by HbA_1c, at baseline (age 70), and changes in blood glucose from age 70 to 79. They reported that high blood glucose was consistently predicted by lower cognitive function among older people. Findings suggested that clinical care that measures and tracks cognitive function, while also taking the positive effects of maintaining cognitive function and emulating healthy behaviors correlated with higher cognitive function into account, could be one approach for protecting at-risk people from elevated blood glucose and subsequent type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods

• For this investigation, members in the Lothian Birth Cohort of 1936 were investigated (n = 1091).
• Researchers utilized fourteen tests, grouped into four domains, to evaluate cognitive functions: visuospatial ability, processing speed, memory and crystallized ability.
• After that, test results, measurements of HbA_1c, and other health variables were gathered at each of four waves of assessment: at the mean age of 70, 73, 76 and 79 years.
• For this cohort, data on cognitive function at age 11 was also available.
• Finally, latent growth curve modelling was performed and statistical controls for known risk factors were introduced.

Results

• The study results showed that higher age 11 cognitive function predicted lower HbA_1c level at age 70 (p < 0.001).
• Findings revealed that higher cognitive function at age 70 was related to a comparatively smaller increase in HbA_1c levels from age 70 to 79 (p < 0.001).
• It was noted that HbA_1c from age 70 to 79 did not have any consistent association with change in cognitive function from age 70 to 79.
• These results demonstrated that these associations survived adjustments for age, sex, education, APOE*ε4, smoking history, cardiovascular disease history, hypertension history, BMI and corrections for multiple testing.