A biethnic community survey of cognition in participants with type 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, and normal glucose tolerance - The New Mexico Elder Health Survey

OBJECTIVE - To determine whether elderly individuals with type 2 diabetes o r impaired glucose tolerance are at increased risk for cognitive impairment compared with individuals with normal glucose tolerance. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - Elderly Hispanic individuals (n = 414) and no n-Hispanic white individuals (n = 469) aged greater than or equal to 65 yea rs, randomly selected from the Medicare rolls of Bernalillo County (Albuque rque), NM, were recruited for an intenriew/examination that included an eva luation of glucose tolerance, information on nine tests of cognitive functi on and two measures of depression allowed comparisons between diabetic stat us and these functions. Comparisons also were made between glycosolated hem oglobin concentrations and these cognitive tests in the 188 participants wi th diabetes. RESULTS- None of the mean scores on the tests of cognitive function was sig nificantly lower in the participants with diabetes compared with those part icipants with normal glucose tolerance after adjustments for ethnicity, sex , age, level of education, and presence of depression, with or without elim ination of those with dementia (Mini-Mental State Exam < 18). Interestingly , participants with impaired glucose tolerance tended to score higher than those with normal glucose tolerance. No significant associations were found between glycosolated hemoglobin concentrations and cognitive test scores i n participants with diabetes. CONCLUSIONS - We could not show any increased risk for cognitive impairment in participants with diabetes compared with those with normal glucose tole rance after adjustments for ethnicity, sex, age, education, and presence of depression, before or after elimination of this random sample from a bieth nic population of predominantly community-dwelling elders.