Type 2 diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for dementia in a Mexican population.

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and dementia increase with age. Different studies have explored their association, but the possible relationship between them is still unclear.

Methods: This is an analysis of the 10/66 Dementia Research Group (DRG) Mexico database; the sample comprised 1193 subjects ≥65 years old followed-up for three years. We calculated the incidence of dementia in subjects with diabetes using three models of analysis.

Results: T2DM patients have nearly twice the risk of developing dementia (RR 1.9; 95% CI 1.3-2.6) after three years of follow-up. The incidence of dementia is higher in subjects with undiagnosed diabetes. Higher serum glucose levels have a stronger association with dementia.

Conclusions: It is important to implement early evaluation and monitoring cognitive performance in elders with diabetes to identify minor cognitive impairment and undertake timely interventions to prevent or delay the onset of dementia.