Cognitive impairment in diabetes patients

Dementia is one of the most common and devastating diseases of later life. In the UK, 822,000 people live with dementia and this is set to rise to 1.2 million by 2025.¹ People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at an increased risk of developing dementia. The proportion of those with MCI who go on to develop dementia ranges from 1-25 per cent.²

Diabetes mellitus is associated with cognitive dysfunction; over a four-year follow-up period, people with MCI and diabetes were three times more likely to develop dementia than those with MCI alone.³ Poor glycaemic control and long-term episodes of hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia may lead to microangiopathy, neuronal loss and cognitive impairment.⁴