A study found a connection between an earlier diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes and a heightened risk of developing dementia, particularly for individuals with obesity.
The findings, published Nov. 13 in PLOS One, suggest that those diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes before age 50 are at the greatest risk, with obesity exacerbating the danger.
The 14-year prospective study, led by Xiang Qi, PhD, an assistant professor at New York University in New York City, followed 1,213 individuals 50 and older with Type 2 diabetes. The cohort, which was drawn from the Health and Retirement Study, found that individuals diagnosed with diabetes at younger ages had a significantly increased risk for dementia.
The researchers also found that participants with both Type 2 diabetes and obesity had an even higher risk. Among those diagnosed before age 50, individuals with obesity had a dementia risk 3.05 times greater than those without obesity.