Having both diabetes and tooth loss contributes to worse cognitive function and faster cognitive decline in older adults, according to a new study.
“Our findings underscore the importance of dental care and diabetes management for older adults in reducing the devastating personal and societal costs of Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias,” says Bei Wu, vice dean for research at New York University’s (NYU) Rory Meyers College of Nursing, co-director of the NYU Aging Incubator, and lead author of the paper in the Journal of Dental Research.
Diabetes is a known risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia. Several of the hallmarks of diabetes—high blood sugar, insulin resistance, inflammation, and related heart disease—are thought to contribute to changes in the brain….