Younger Age at Diabetes Diagnosis Tied to Higher Risk for Later Dementia

TUESDAY, Nov. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Younger age at diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is significantly associated with a higher risk for subsequent dementia, according to a study published online Nov. 13 in PLOS ONE.

Xiang Qi, Ph.D., R.N., from the Rory Meyers College of Nursing at New York University in New York City, and colleagues used data from the Health and Retirement Study (2002 to 2016) matched to the 2003 Diabetes Mail-Out Survey to investigate the association between age at type 2 diabetes diagnosis and subsequent dementia risk. The analysis included 1,213 dementia-free adults aged 50 years and older with diagnosed type 2 diabetes.

The researchers found that during a median follow-up of 10 years, participants diagnosed at younger ages had increased dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR], 1.70 for 60 to 69 years; HR, 1.72 for 50 to 59 years; and HR, 1.90 for younger than 50 years) compared with participants diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at age 70 years and older. This relationship was significantly moderated by obesity, with individuals with obesity diagnosed with diabetes at younger than 50 years having the highest dementia risk (HR, 3.05) compared with individuals without obesity diagnosed at 50 years and older.

“Future studies are needed to address the complexity of [the] type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and dementia relationship,” the authors write. “Interventions specifically targeting obesity may be more effective in preventing dementia for adults with younger age at diagnoses of type 2 diabetes mellitus.”

Abstract/Full Text