The population based epidemiological study of the association between diabetes and risk of dementia: the Hisayama Study

Taro Nakazawa¹⁾²⁾, Tomoyuki Ohara¹⁾²⁾, Toshiharu Ninomiya²⁾

¹⁾Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University
²⁾Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University

A population-based prospective cohort study of dementia has been conducted in the town of Hisayama since 1985.　To evaluate the association between diabetes and risk of dementia, approximately 1,000 elder residents without dementia were followed up prospectively.　As a result, diabetes, especially 2-hour postload hyperglycemia, was a significant risk factor for the development of Alzheimer' disease (AD) and vascular dementia.　In addition, subjects with increased 2-hour postload glucose levels were more likely to have neuritic plaques and hippocampal atrophy than those with normal glucose tolerance.　Furthermore, increased glycated albumin/hemoglobin A1c ratio, a possible marker of glycemic variability, was significantly associated with the risk of AD and hippocampal atrophy.

Address correspondence to Dr. Taro Nakazawa, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University (3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan)