[메디컬투데이TV] For patients with diabetes, the more stable the level of glycated hemoglobin, the lower the risk of developing dementia.

[메디컬투데이=이승재 기자] A study showed that the more stable the level of glycated hemoglobin in diabetic patients, the lower the risk of developing dementia.

The results of a study examining the correlation between the stability of glycated hemoglobin levels and the risk of developing dementia in diabetic patients were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Network Open).

Dementia is one of the diseases that elderly people with diabetes need to take care of. This is because if you have diabetes, your cognitive ability decreases and your risk of developing dementia increases compared to healthy people.

The ‘glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)’ level is used for the long-term management of diabetes. Glycated hemoglobin is a value that reflects the average blood sugar level over three months, and the target value or target range for glycated hemoglobin is calculated considering life expectancy and concomitant diseases.

The upper limit of the glycated hemoglobin target range is important for blood sugar regulation, but the lower limit is also very important to prevent hypoglycemia, a dangerous aspect of diabetes treatment.

Recently, the clinical importance of ‘TIR (HbA1c Time in Range)’, which is a value related to whether the level of glycated hemoglobin remains constant between the upper and lower limits, is increasing. The method of measuring TIR varies from individual to individual, and the higher the TIR, the more stable the level of glycated hemoglobin.

Researchers in the United States studied the effect of TIR levels on the development of ‘Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD)’ in 374,021 diabetic patients. TIR values ​​were calculated individually depending on the patient’s clinical condition and life expectancy.

As a result of the study, diabetic patients whose TIR level was maintained above 60% were at low risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. The risk of developing dementia increased the longer the glycated hemoglobin level remained below the low level.

Based on these findings, the researchers concluded that the more stable the level of glycated hemoglobin in diabetic patients, the lower the risk of developing depression.

Medical Today Video Editing Team ([email protected])

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