Diabetes as a Risk Factor for Cognitive Decline in Older Patients

Abstract

The impact of diabetes on cognitive status might differ in older men and women, probably because of a survival effect, with a higher mortality at a younger age among diabetic men. The metabolic and cardiovascular abnormalities associated with diabetes might be responsible for the cognitive decline, at different rates and ages, in men and women. The routine assessment of diabetes complications in the elderly should include cognitive evaluation in both sexes.