Association of depressive disorder with the cognitive performance of Mexican older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and depression have both become pandemics over the last years. Both of these conditions have also been associated with signs of systemic inflammation, decreased insulin sensitivity, and autonomic dysfunction, all identified as risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia. Our aim in this study was to explore the effect of depressive symptoms in the cognitive performance of Mexican older adults diagnosed with with T2D. Method We analyzed differences in global cognition (using the COGSCORE instrument) of adults aged 65 and over, with T2D, with a three‐year follow up within the 10/66 Dementia Research Group protocols in Mexico. T2D was diagnosed with glucose levels at baseline equal or greater than 126 mg/dl, and/or with self‐report of diabetes. Depression diagnosis was based on the International Classification of Diseases glossary version 10 (ICD‐10). Results The total sample consisted of 441 older adults people with T2D. 65% were women. The majority (72%) were outside glycemic control levels, 45% were overweight and 27% were depressed. In termos of cognitive performance, there was no significant difference in subjects with diabetes and depressive symptoms (p>0.47). When comparing the cognitive performance, there were differences between 1) the ages of 75 and 79 (p