Changes of glucose levels precede dementia in African-Americans with diabetes but not in Caucasians.

Introduction: Changes in glucose levels may represent a powerful metabolic indicator of dementia in African-Americans with diabetes. It is unclear whether these changes also occur in Caucasians.

Methods: A secondary data analysis using electronic medical records from 5228 African-Americans and Caucasians aged ≥65 years was carried out. Mixed effects models with repeated serum glucose measurements were used to compare changes in glucose levels between African-Americans and Caucasian patients with and without incident dementia.

Results: African-Americans and Caucasians with diabetes had significantly different changes in glucose levels by dementia status (P < .0001). African-Americans experienced a significant decline in glucose levels before the dementia diagnosis (estimated glucose decline 1.3421 mg/dL per year, P < .0001) than those who did not develop dementia. Caucasians with and without dementia showed stable glucose levels over time (P = .3071).

Discussion: Significant changes in glucose levels precede dementia in African-American patients with diabetes but not in Caucasians.