Effects of improved glycaemic control maintained for 3 months on cognitive function in patients with Type 2 diabetes

Background and aim In a previous study we failed to find beneficial short‐term effects of improved glycaemic control on cognitive functioning in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. A subgroup of the entire sample was tested again to examine the effect of longer‐lasting improvement of metabolic control on cognitive functioning. Methods The cognitive performance of 26 patients with Type 2 diabetes was assessed at baseline and 3 months after discharge. Thirteen controls were tested at the similar time‐points. Attention/concentration, psychomotor speed, verbal fluency, verbal memory and depressive symptoms were assessed. Improved glycaemic control was generally achieved with insulin therapy (20/26). Results At baseline, there was a trend for diabetic patients to perform worse than controls. Both groups improved significantly over 3 months in several measures. However, diabetic patients did not improve more than controls. Conclusions In individuals with long‐standing Type 2 diabetes, previous reports of improved cognitive capacity following restoration and maintenance of near‐normoglycaemia were not confirmed. This might relate to the type of anti‐diabetic therapy.