Developing Type 2 Diabetes at a Young Age Increases Dementia Risk, Study Finds

Seventy percent of people with pre-diabetes eventually progress to type 2 diabetes, and the age at which that happens may significantly impact their risk of dementia, a new study finds. The study included more than 11,600 people who had their blood sugar monitored and their cognitive abilities tested over a period of three decades.

Participants who went from pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes before the age of 60 tripled their risk of dementia, according to the results. That increased risk fell to 73% between the ages of 60 and 69 and continued falling until it was gone by the age of 80. The authors say these findings show that diabetes onset at an early age is strongly related to a loss of cognitive abilities.

They conclude that "Preventing or delaying the progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes will substantially reduce the future burden of dementia."