Unravelling the Association of Cognitive Impairment among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Patients with diabetes are increasingly susceptible to complications, one of the most overlooked being cognitive impairment. As the majority of people with diabetes remain undiagnosed for cognitive disorders and with the rising incidence of diabetes, early identification is essential. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of cognitive impairment among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 138 participants at a tertiary care teaching hospital. All the patients who were aged 18 years or above and who were on antidiabetic medications were included. Patients with a known history of dementia and those on Vitamin B12 supplementation were excluded. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale was used to assess cognitive impairment. Predictors of cognitive impairment were identified using multiple linear regression analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was found to be 58.4 ± 10.6 years. The cognitive impairment was found among 130 (94.2%) diabetes patients. More than half of the participants, 73 (52.9%), had mild cognitive impairment and 44 (31.9%) had moderate impairment, whereas 13 (9.4%) were found to have severe cognitive impairment. Among the predictors, females had significantly lower cognitive scores than males (β = -2.76, P = 0.005), and participants with only primary education scored significantly lower than graduates (β = -3.94, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of cognitive impairment was found among diabetic patients. Hence, there is a need for healthcare policymakers to integrate cognitive screening into routine diabetes care to ensure early detection and improve patient outcomes.