Diabetes has been associated with a range of more serious conditions, such as heart disease, stroke and even blindness. But researchers are beginning to think it could also lead to Alzheimer's disease and to a general decline in cognitive functions.
Researchers found that those who had diabetes were also 65 per cent more likely to develop Alzheimer's. Diabetes was also associated with a deterioration of memory, cognition, speech memory, working memory and visual-spatial skills.
The research team followed 824 Catholic priests and nuns (don't ask why) for nine years, 127 of whom had diabetes and 151 went on to develop Alzheimer's.