Type 1 diabetes patients are at greater risk of developing dementia, according to a study performed by the lead author Rachel Whitmer.

To find this, the researchers reviewed records of more than 490,000 who were over 60 years old and had no history of dementia as of 2002. They found that 16 percent of the people with type 1 diabetes developed dementia while in the rest of the group 12 percent of people developed the disease.

When researchers examined only type 1 diabetes patients by eliminating type 2 patients, they found that four percent more of people with type 1 diabetes than the whole sample developed all-cause dementia which was a real increase in the risk.
“Type 1 diabetes is a disease that requires constant vigilance and constant self-care and 83 percent of people suffering from it were more likely to develop dementia as seniors” Rachel noted.

The findings will be presented at Alzheimer's Association International Conference, in Washington D.C. and are being viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

By Lizitha