Public Health

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a known risk factor for cognitive impairment and dementia.
• APOE4 allele and education levels are also strongly associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
• These factors may influence how DM impacts cognitive function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between DM and cognitive performance in older adults across different cognitive profiles.
• To compare the influence of DM with education, sex, age, and APOE4 carrier status on cognitive abilities.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 345 participants with varying cognitive diagnoses (Cognitively Unimpaired, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Major Depression, Mild Dementia).
• Data collected included age, education, sex, APOE4 carrier status, and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores.
• Statistical analyses included Chi-Square, Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression to assess associations.

Main Results:

• Diabetes Mellitus was present in 27.53% of participants, and 33.62% were APOE4 carriers.
• Logistic regression revealed that age, education, and APOE4 status were significantly associated with lower MMSE scores.
• Diabetes Mellitus showed no significant association with MMSE scores below cutoff points (p=0.609).

Conclusions:

• In this cohort, Diabetes Mellitus was not found to be associated with cognitive ability when considered alongside APOE4 allele, education, and age.
• These findings are preliminary, and further research with larger sample sizes is recommended.
• Additional studies are needed to explore the complex interactions between DM and other cognitive health determinants.