Early diagnostic signs of cognitive decline among diabetics found innew research

Carol Forsloff - Scientists have known about cognitive decline among older diabetics, but
the specific factors and early signs are recently found in a new study,
showing specific physical factors involved. 


Those older adults who have hypertension, lose their balance, believe
themselves to be in poor health will likely have more memory problems,
according to a study put out by the American Physiological Assocation.


September’s Neuropsychology does an analysis of this information that
maintains these factors may not cause dementia but can signal the
potential problems.

“Awareness of the
link between diabetes and cognition could help people realize how
important it is to manage this disease--and to motivate them to do so,”
said co-author Roger Dixon, PhD, of the University of Alberta.

Type 2 diabetes
has been found by other researchers to nearly double the risk of
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  With the fact diabetes is
increasingly becoming common, it becomes a major factor in health
planning.

In people over
60, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and
Kidney Diseases the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes  is about 23 percent.

Combined gait and
balance were found to have the greatest influence, on signaling
cognitive decline.  Scientists think it might be that diabetes affects
specific nerves that control gait and balance and that broadly affect
overlapping areas of the brain that support these functions.

Dixon said, in relationship to how older people perceive themselves and
how that impacts decline: “It’s important to pay attention to the health
beliefs of older adults, not because they are necessarily accurate or
valid indicators of specific health status, but because they might track
overall health.”