Type 2 diabetes mellitus might be a risk factor for mild cognitive impairment progressing to Alzheimer's disease

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), so identification of the related risk factors can be helpful. Although the association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and these modest changes in cognition is well established, whether T2DM will promote the transformation of MCI into AD is not a unified conclusion. Objective: This study aims to explore the relationship between T2DM and MCI in the elderly population living in the community in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Methods: A total of 197 participants were included in the study. They were screened for T2DM, hyperlipidemia, traumatic brain injury, and family history of dementia. The Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment were used to assess cognitive function. The diagnosis of AD was made according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, whereas the diagnosis of MCI was made according to Petersen's criteria. Then, we investigated the relation between T2DM and MCI. Results: A total of 82 (41.6%) participants had no cognitive impairment, 82 (41.6%) participants had MCI, and 33 (16.8%) participants had AD. Multivariate logistic regression models demonstrated that T2DM was a risk factor for AD (odds ratio = 49.723, 95% CI = 21.173-111.987). Conclusion: T2DM might be a risk factor for MCI progressing into AD.