TY - JOUR
T1 - The mediating role of comorbid conditions in the association between type 2 diabetes and cognition
T2 - A cross-sectional observational study using the UK Biobank cohort
AU - Whitelock, Victoria
AU - Rutters, Femke
AU - Rijnhart, Judith J.M.
AU - Nouwen, Arie
AU - Higgs, Suzanne
N1 - Funding Information: Funding was provided by Middlesex University to access the UK Biobank data. The study sponsor was not involved in the design of the study; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing the report; or the decision to submit the report for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Aims: Using the UK Biobank cohort, a large sample of middle aged and older adults in the UK, the present study aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between type 2 diabetes and cognition and to assess the hypothesised mediating role of common comorbid conditions, whilst controlling for important demographic and lifestyle factors. Methods: Using regression models and general structural equation models, we examined the cross-sectional association between type 2 diabetes status and: fluid intelligence; reaction time; visual memory; digit span and prospective memory; and the hypothesised mediating role of common comorbid conditions: visceral obesity; sleep problems; macrovascular problems; respiratory problems; cancer and depressive symptoms in 47,468 participants from the UK Biobank cohort, of whom 1,831 have type 2 diabetes. We controlled for ethnicity, sex, age, deprivation, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels and use of diabetes medication. Results: Participants with type 2 diabetes had a significantly shorter digit span, b = -0.14, CIs [-0.27, -0.11] than those without type 2 diabetes. Those with type 2 diabetes did not differ from those without type 2 diabetes on fluid intelligence, reaction time, visual memory and prospective memory. The associations that do exist between type 2 diabetes and cognition are consistently mediated via macrovascular problems, depressive symptoms, and to a lesser extent visceral obesity. Respiratory problems, sleep disturbances and cancer did not mediate the association between type 2 diabetes status and measures of cognition. Conclusions: Comorbid conditions explain some of the observed association between type 2 diabetes and cognitive deficits. This suggests that prevention, management or treatment of these comorbid conditions may be important to reduce the likelihood of cognitive decline. Treatment studies with long follow-ups are needed to examine this.
AB - Aims: Using the UK Biobank cohort, a large sample of middle aged and older adults in the UK, the present study aimed to examine the cross-sectional association between type 2 diabetes and cognition and to assess the hypothesised mediating role of common comorbid conditions, whilst controlling for important demographic and lifestyle factors. Methods: Using regression models and general structural equation models, we examined the cross-sectional association between type 2 diabetes status and: fluid intelligence; reaction time; visual memory; digit span and prospective memory; and the hypothesised mediating role of common comorbid conditions: visceral obesity; sleep problems; macrovascular problems; respiratory problems; cancer and depressive symptoms in 47,468 participants from the UK Biobank cohort, of whom 1,831 have type 2 diabetes. We controlled for ethnicity, sex, age, deprivation, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity levels and use of diabetes medication. Results: Participants with type 2 diabetes had a significantly shorter digit span, b = -0.14, CIs [-0.27, -0.11] than those without type 2 diabetes. Those with type 2 diabetes did not differ from those without type 2 diabetes on fluid intelligence, reaction time, visual memory and prospective memory. The associations that do exist between type 2 diabetes and cognition are consistently mediated via macrovascular problems, depressive symptoms, and to a lesser extent visceral obesity. Respiratory problems, sleep disturbances and cancer did not mediate the association between type 2 diabetes status and measures of cognition. Conclusions: Comorbid conditions explain some of the observed association between type 2 diabetes and cognitive deficits. This suggests that prevention, management or treatment of these comorbid conditions may be important to reduce the likelihood of cognitive decline. Treatment studies with long follow-ups are needed to examine this.
KW - Cognition
KW - Comorbidities
KW - Depressive symptoms
KW - Macrovascular problems
KW - Type 2 diabetes
KW - Visceral obesity
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096014106&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104902
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104902
M3 - Article
C2 - 33197721
SN - 0306-4530
VL - 123
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
M1 - 104902
ER -