Abstract
Aims: Using the UK Biobank cohort, a large sample of middle aged and older adults in the UK, the present study aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between type 2 diabetes and cognition and to assess the hypothesised mediating role of common comorbid conditions, whilst controlling for important demographic and lifestyle factors.
Methods: Using regression models and general structural equation models, we examined the cross-sectional association between type 2 diabetes status and: fluid intelligence; reaction time; visual memory; digit span and prospective memory; and the hypothesised mediating role of common comorbid conditions: visceral obesity; sleep problems; macrovascular problems; respiratory problems; cancer and depressive symptoms in 47,468 participants from the UK Biobank cohort, of whom 1,831 have type 2 diabetes. We controlled for ethnicity, sex, age, deprivation, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels and use of diabetes medication.
Results: Participants with type 2 diabetes had a significantly shorter digit span, b = -0.14, CIs [-0.27, -0.11] than those without type 2 diabetes. Those with type 2 diabetes did not differ from those without type 2 diabetes on fluid intelligence, reaction time, visual memory and prospective memory. The associations that do exist between type 2 diabetes and cognition are consistently mediated via macrovascular problems, depressive symptoms, and to a lesser extent visceral obesity. Respiratory problems, sleep disturbances and cancer did not mediate the association between type 2 diabetes status and measures of cognition.
Conclusions: Comorbid conditions explain some of the observed association between type 2 diabetes and cognitive deficits. This suggests that prevention, management or treatment of these comorbid conditions may be important to reduce the likelihood of cognitive decline. Treatment studies with long follow-ups are needed to examine this.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 104902 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Psychoneuroendocrinology |
Volume | 123 |
Early online date | 6 Oct 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding was provided by Middlesex University to access the UK Biobank data. The study sponsor was not involved in the design of the study; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing the report; or the decision to submit the report for publication.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors
Keywords
- Cognition
- Comorbidities
- Depressive symptoms
- Macrovascular problems
- Type 2 diabetes
- Visceral obesity
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
- Endocrinology
- Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Biological Psychiatry