Glucose tolerance status and cognitive impairment in early middle-aged women.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of glucose tolerance status on cognitive performance in early middle-aged women.


METHODS
We conducted a matched, case-control study from a population-based cohort in Kinmen, Taiwan. Women aged 40-54 years were recruited. Participants were classified into one of three groups: normal, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or diabetes mellitus. Cognitive measures used were the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, visual memory, verbal fluency, Trail Making Test, and digit spans.


RESULTS
Seven hundred and twenty eligible women underwent both the cognitive and oral glucose tolerance tests. The 72 women (10%) who had diabetes mellitus were compared with 68 women with IGT and 144 with normal glucose tolerance. All groups were matched for age and education level. Mean scores on cognitive testing did not differ between the three groups, except for the forward digit spans test. After adjustment for menopausal status, psychological stress scores and other cardiovascular variables, glucose tolerance status was no longer a significant predictor for forward digit span scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Glucose tolerance status was not associated with cognitive performance in middle-aged women.
Fuh
J-L
JL
Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. jlfuh@vghtpe.gov.tw
Wang
S-J
SJ
Hwu
C-M
CM
Lu
S-R
SR
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D014888:Wechsler Scales
D001786:Blood Glucose