Research Report: Older Adults with Diabetes at Increased Risk for Memory Problems

September 28, 2016 Nadia Al-Samarrie

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New research has found that adults with diabetes could be at risk of episodic memory problems, especially when the disease is poorly controlled. Episodic memory loss involves problems with specific event recall, and it can affect both recent and long-term memories.

This study examined memory tests completed on adults from 2006-2012. Participants included nearly 4,200 older adults – some with diabetes and some without. It was found that diabetic individuals with high blood sugar had the most difficulty with memory testing – both at the beginning of the test and with declining memory as the test continued. It is suspected that this trend occurs due to damaged brain cells, specifically those that transmit messages within the hippocampus.

These findings were published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health on July 20, 2016.