Brain deficits in prediabetic adults: A systematic review

Abstract

Previous findings on the relationship between prediabetes (the precursor stage of type 2 diabetes) and brain health in humans are inconsistent. Thus, this systematic review of cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies aimed to summarize what is currently known about brain deficits in prediabetic adults. Following the PRISMA reporting standards for systematic reviews, we conducted a comprehensive review of peer‐reviewed journal articles published from 2009 to present, focusing on studies that assessed brain volume, structural connectivity, and cerebrovascular health in prediabetic adults and older adults (i.e., 18 years or older). We systematically searched PsychINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, and EMbase databases. Quality assessment was based on the NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Observational and Cross‐sectional Studies. In total, 19 studies were included in our review. Results from these studies show that prediabetes may be associated with deficits in brain structure and pathology, however, several studies also refute these findings. Moreover, we identified clear inconsistencies in study methodologies, including diabetes measures and classification, across studies that may account for these conflicting findings.

Sex-related differences in whole brain volumes at age 70 in association with hyperglycemia during adult life

“…Previous cross-sectional studies have reported that diabetes and pre-diabetes are associated with impaired brain structure (Furlano, Horst, & Nagamatsu, 2021) and elevated HbA1c has been reported to be associated with reduced WBV (Schneider et al, 2017). We demonstrate that elevated glycemic levels measured at successive time points throughout midlife and early late-life predict lower WBV in females at age 69-71.…”