Probiotics: A potential strategy for improving diabetes mellitus complicated with cognitive impairment

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common metabolic disease and one of the diseases with the highest number of complications at present. As the disease progresses, patients will gradually develop diabetes-related cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or even dementia. The occurrence of diabetes-combined cognitive impairment undoubtedly imposes a heavy burden on patients and their families. Current research suggests that risk factors such as blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation have an important role in the development of diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI). With the development of technology and in-depth research, the relationship between the two-way communication between the gut and the brain has been gradually revealed, and more studies have found that the gut microbiota plays an important role in the development of DCI. This review explores the feasibility of probiotics as a potential strategy to assist in the improvement of DCI and its potential mechanisms from the perspective of the factors affecting DCI.