Association between pre-diabetes or diabetes and cognitive impairment in a community-dwelling older population: Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program

Background Persistent uncontrolled hyperglycemia is recognized as one of the risk factors for cognitive disorders. Accordingly, both type 1 and type 2 diabetes may predispose individuals to cognitive impairment, particularly in cases where glycemic control is insufficient. The objective of this comprehensive study is to separately assess cognitive dysfunctions in diabetic and non-diabetic older adults. Methods This cross-sectional study is part of phase 2 of the Bushehr elderly health program (BEHP). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Mini-cog and categorical verbal fluency tests (CFTs). Patients were classified as non-diabetics, pre-diabetics, or diabetics based on the diagnostic criteria for diabetes mellitus (DM). To compare the means of the two groups, we utilized the t-test or the Mann-Whitney test. Additionally Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association between pre-diabetes or DM and cognitive impairment. Results Out of 1533 participants, 693 (45.2%) were identified as having cognitive impairment. The average hemoglobin A1C was higher in participants with cognitive impairment compared to those without cognitive impairment. (5.8 ± 1.6% vs. 5.5 ± 1.4%, P = 0.004). Furthermore, the mean blood glucose levels were found to be more elevated in cases of cognitive impairment (108.0 ± 47.4 mg/dL vs. 102.1 ± 0.35 mg/dL, P = 0.002). After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, amount of physical activity, and smoking, the multivariable logistic regression model, declared an association between diabetes and cognitive impairment (OR = 1.48, P = 0.003). In addition, older patients, females, widows, and individuals with elevated LDL-Cs and those with high blood pressure were found to be more vulnerable to cognitive impairment. Conclusion The Bushehr Elderly Health Program (BEHP) study revealed that individuals affected with cognitive impairment may exhibit higher levels of HbA1c. This suggests a positive correlation between elevated HbA1c and cognitive impairment.