HHS HealthBeat (September 19, 2008)

Diabetes and thinking

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Older people with longstanding or severe diabetes might have an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment – a slight decline in thinking ability.

Dr. Rosebud Roberts of the Mayo Clinic found that in people aged 70 and older. People whose diabetes started before age 65, lasted at least 10 years, had insulin treatment or complications of diabetes were more likely to have mild cognitive impairment.

Roberts suspects diabetes raised the risk. Diabetes can damage small blood vessels such as those that feed the brain.

So she advises people with diabetes:

``Take the medications, focus on exercise -- focus on anything you can do to reduce the adverse effects of diabetes.’’ (8 seconds)

The study in Archives of Neurology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011