Cognitive function in children and subsequent type 2 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes by age 42 years is associated with prior cognitive deficits in childhood.


METHODS
Logistic regression estimated type 2 diabetes risk among 9,113 members of the 1958 British birth cohort of the National Child Development Study (NCDS). Associations with type 2 diabetes were estimated for general ability and reading comprehension assessments at age 11 years, modeled using SD units. Adjustment was for markers of early-life exposures, social and material family characteristics, sex, and disability, with further adjustment for BMI at age 7 years.


RESULTS
Adjusted odds ratios (95% CIs) for type 2 diabetes (n = 69) are 0.67 (0.51-0.87) for general ability and 0.58 (0.44-0.77) for reading comprehension. Neither additional adjustment for BMI, nor limiting the definition of type 2 diabetes to onset after age 33 years altered the associations substantially.


CONCLUSIONS
Impaired cognitive function may precede clinical onset of type 2 diabetes.
Olsson
Gunilla M
GM
Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. gunilla.olsson@neuro.uu.se
Hulting
Anna-Lena
AL
Montgomery
Scott M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology