VANCOUVER—Patients with hypoglycemia have a twofold increased risk for dementia compared to those without hypoglycemia, while older adults with diabetes and dementia have a greater risk of having a hypoglycemic event than those without dementia, according to research presented at the 2012 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.
“This suggests that elders with diabetes may be particularly vulnerable to a vicious cycle of compromised disease management leading to cognitive impairment and further risk of poor disease management,” reported Cherie Falvey, MPH, staff research associate, Department of Psychiatry, and Kristine Yaffe, MD, Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.
Although hypoglycemia may contribute to diabetes-related cognitive impairment, the few investigations of hypoglycemia and cognitive function have had inconsistent findings, noted the researchers.
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