Diabetes mellitus and the Risk of Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Vascular Cognitive Impairment in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging

Vol. 14, No. 2, 2002

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Original Research Article

Diabetes mellitus and the Risk of Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Cognitive Impairment in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging
Chris MacKnight^a, Kenneth Rockwood^a, Erin Awalt^a, Ian McDowell^b

^aDivision of Geriatric Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, and
^bDepartment of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada

Address of Corresponding Author

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2002;14:77-83 (DOI: 10.1159/000064928)

Key Words

Dementia
Epidemiology
Vascular dementia
Alzheimer's disease
Diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Conflicting results have been reported about the status of diabetes mellitus as a risk for Alzheimer's disease. We investigated the relationship between diabetes and incident dementia (including Alzheimer's disease and vascular cognitive impairment) in a 5-year longitudinal study. Methods: Secondary analysis of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, a representative cohort study of dementia in older Canadians. Results: 5,574 subjects without cognitive impairment at baseline participated in 5-year follow-up. Diabetes mellitus at baseline was associated with incident vascular cognitive impairment (RR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.12-2.33) and its subtypes, vascular dementia (RR: 2.03; 95% CI: 1.15-3.57), and vascular cognitive impairment not dementia (RR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.01-2.78). Diabetes was not associated with mixed Alzheimer's/vascular dementia (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.34-2.21), incident Alzheimer's disease (RR: 1.30; 95% CI: 0.83-2.03) or all dementias (RR: 1.26; 95% CI: 0.90-1.76). Conclusions: Despite increased recognition of the role of vascular factors in Alzheimer's disease, we did not find an association between diabetes and incident Alzheimer's disease, even though diabetes was associated with incident vascular cognitive impairment.

Author Contacts

Dr. Chris MacKnight
Rm 1308, Camp Hill Veterans' Memorial Building
5955 Veterans' Memorial Lane
Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 2E1 (Canada)
Tel. +1 902 473 3888, Fax +1 902 473 7133, E-Mail domcrm@qe2-hsc.ns.ca

Article Information

Accepted: April 2, 2002
Number of Print Pages : 7
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 45

Medline Abstract (ID 12145454)

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