title: Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for vascular dementia, but not for Alzheimer's disease: a population-based study of the oldest old.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to examine if Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for dementia in very old age, specifically for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the risk of dementia in relation to Type 2 diabetes using a population-based sample of 702 individuals aged 80 years and older (mean age 83 years). A total of 187 persons received a dementia diagnosis. Thirty-one individuals had a diabetes diagnosis prior to onset of the dementia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cox proportional hazard analyses, adjusted for age, gender, education, smoking habits, and circulatory diseases, indicated an elevated risk to develop VaD (relative risk = 2.54, 95% confidence interval 1.354.78) in individuals with diabetes mellitus. No association was found between diabetes and AD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type 2 diabetes is selectively related to the different subtypes of dementia. There is no increased risk of AD but more than a twofold risk of VaD in persons with diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. Linda.Hassing@psy.gu.se
authors.forename: Linda B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hassing
authors.forename: Boo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Sven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Stig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Nancy L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gatz
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McClearn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors