COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND GLYCOSYLATED HEMOGLOBIN IN OLDER PATIENTS WITHTYPE-II DIABETES

The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a relationshi p between diabetes control and cognitive function in older persons wit h type II diabetes. Seventy-seven patients with type II diabetes melli tus-none of whom were taking insulin-were given two cognitive function tests (the Modified Mini-Mental State and the Delayed Word Recall Tes t) and a HbA(1C) assay. All patients were living independently at home in rural communities, and under the care of their family doctor. The mean age of the subjects was 67.6 years; the sample consisted of 23 ma les and 54 females. The mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1C)) level w as 8.4 (range from 3.1 to 20.0). There was a nonsignificant trend for persons with extreme lower or higher HbA(1C) levels to have poorer cog nitive function as assessed by the Modified Mini-Mental State but not the Delayed Word Recall Test. The effect of glycemic control on cognit ive function may not be as clinically relevant as other factors in eld erly persons with type II diabetes. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1996.