Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance and Cognitive Dysfunction: Does your metabolic profile affect your brain?

Dementia and type 2 diabetes are both characterized by long prodromal phases challenging the study of potential risk factors and their temporal relation. The progressive relation between metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and dementia has recently been questioned, wherefore the aim of this study was to assess the potential association between these precursors of type 2 diabetes and cognitive dysfunction. Using data from the Prospective Epidemiological Risk Factor study (n=2,103), a prospective study of elderly women in Denmark, we found that impaired fasting plasma glucose was associated with 44% (9%-91%) larger probability of developing cognitive dysfunction. In addition subjects above the HOMA-IR threshold (HOMA-IR > 2.6) had 47% (9%-99%) larger odds of cognitive dysfunction. The associations could indicate that a significant proportion of dementia cases in women is likely to be preventable by effective prevention and control of the insulin homeostasis.