CHENNAI: Diabetes and dementia are interlinked and could hasten one another’s progression. “Individuals with pre-diabetes also have higher risk for dementia,” said Dr V Mohan, chairman, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), in Chennai.

A 2023 study conducted by IDF Centre of Excellence in Diabetes Care, and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found that 13.6 crore people are pre-diabetic, and 11.3 crore have diabetes.

The conversion from pre-diabetes to diabetes is fastest in South Asian population. Diabetes confers a 1.25 to 1.91-fold excess risk for cognitive disorders (cognitive impairment and dementia).

“Diabetes affects not just the body but also the brain. Persons with diabetes are screened for retinopathy, neuropathy, microalbuminuria and macrovascular diseases.

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