journal articles
DIABETES STATUS IS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR COGNITIVE PERFORMACE IN SAUDI POPULATION AT HIGH METABOLIC RISK
T. Alaama, M. Basheikh, A. Khiyami, M. Mutwalli, S. Batawi, G. Watfa
J Aging Res Clin Practice 2016;5(4):170-174
Objective: Previous studies have shown that Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment, but little data is available on Arabic populations, inspite of their remarkably high prevalence of DM. In this study we attempt to study the effect of DM on cognitive performance in middle-aged and elderly patients. Design: Observational cross sectional study. Setting: Outpatient clinics in King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Participants: The study included 241 volunteers aged 59.6 ± 9.2 years; 171 outpatients with DM, matched with 70 controls without. Measurements: Volunteers underwent cognitive assessment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA) and the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS). Results: RUDAS score was poorer in diabetics (25,25 ± 2,78 vs. 26,71 ± 2,57 in controls; p<0.0001) who are more likely to have cognitive impairment 16% , than those who are not diabetics 3%; p=0.004. This association was confirmed in multivariate analyses and shown to be independent of female gender and low education level, all of which were associated with worse RUDAS cognitive score.The results were not significant when the MoCA was used, as 85 % of the cases and 78 % of the controls had abnormal results;p=0.194.Among diabetics, there was no statistically significant effect found for glycemic control or DM duration on either one of the tests.The prevalence of obesity was similar in the two groups with 63% in diabetics and 62% in controls. Conclusion: In our population with an alarming prevalence of obesity, diabetes was associated with poorer cognitive performance independent of female gender or low education level, drawing attention to this under-recognized problem of cognitive impairment that could result in significant health and social problems, particularly in areas with high diabetes prevalence. RUDAS was found to be a very reasonable and convenient test to assess cognition in our sample characterized by a low educational level.
CITATION:
T. Alaama ; M. Basheikh ; A. Khiyami ; M. Mutwalli ; S. Batawi ; G. Watfa (2016): DIABETES STATUS IS ASSOCIATED WITH POOR COGNITIVE PERFORMACE IN SAUDI POPULATION AT HIGH METABOLIC RISK. The Journal of Aging Research and Clinical Practice (JARCP). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jarcp.2016.120