A new USC-led study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring, has uncovered a significant link between type 2 diabetes mellitus and cortical thickness in older adults from various populations. The study highlights the potential impact of diabetes on brain structure and the importance of managing blood sugar levels to protect brain health in older age. The researchers utilized advanced neuroimaging techniques to analyze cortical thickness and hippocampal volume in participants from the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities (HABS-HD) cohort. The study’s diverse sample, comprising Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic white adults, provides critical insights into how diabetes affects brain health across different populations. The team found poor glycemic control may be a key driver of the observed association between T2DM and cortical thinning. The researchers found that the association between T2DM and cortical thinning remained strong even after accounting for socioeconomic factors and common comorbidities such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity. Hispanic participants showed the strongest associations, while no significant effects were observed among non-Hispanic Black adults. Given the rising prevalence of diabetes, particularly among minority populations, these results underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve diabetes management and mitigate its neurological consequences.
