Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Insulin Resistance in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah

Abstract

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) and insulin resistance (IR) are common in the elderly. IR reduces the ability of insulin to work effectively on target tissues. This results in hyperglycemia, increased triglyceride levels, decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, elevated blood pressure, and central obesity, a condition known as metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS eventually affects cognition, but its relationship with AD is unclear. Therefore, we studied the association between AD and IR and the relation between AD and diabetic patients treated with insulin. Methods This was a record-based retrospective cohort study using data from King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Ministry of National Guards-Health Affairs. for all patients with dementia and AD, from 2009 to 2018. We examined 354 patient files. The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index was used for the assessment of IR. Results There was no significant association between patients' demographic data, glycated hemoglobin, and co-morbidities and developing AD. Statistical models showed that, after adjustment for age, patients with IR had a significantly higher likelihood of AD (adjusted OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.01-2.33). After multivariate adjustment, patients with IR still had a 20% higher probability of developing AD than others (adjusted OR = 1.2; 95% CI: 1.0-3.1). Conclusion These results suggest that AD is associated with IR. Moreover, the association may be confounded by many patient-related factors.