Type 2 diabetes is an independent risk factor for dementia conversion in patients with mild cognitive impairment

Aims: To explore whether type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for dementia conversion in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: A longitudinal nested case-control study in which 101 T2D patients and 101 non-diabetic patients with MCI matched by age and gender were included. Results: The dementia conversion rate was 57.4% in T2D patients vs. 42.6% in non-diabetic subjects (p = 0.02).T2D and APOE epsilon 4 allele were independent risk factors for developing dementia. Conclusion: T2D is an independent risk factor for dementia conversion in MCI patients. This finding has significant clinical implications. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.