Possibilities of prevention and treatment of cognitive dysfunction in people with diabetes
B. Mankovsky

Abstract

Key issue in diabetology is the prevention of the development of diabetes complications, in particular cognitive impairment and dementia. For scientists who study diabetes, it is natural to want to study first the role of glycemic control as a powerful tool in prevention of complications. However, until now, unfortunately, no one has provided any convincing data about the possible positive effect of intensive glycemic control, compensation of diabetes on the state of cognitive functions. Therefore, data available today do not provide sufficient grounds to talk about the possibility of using any sugar-lowering medications as means of prevention or treatment of cognitive dysfunction. However, even when these medications do not have a pronounced positive effect on the cognitive dysfunction in people who do not have diabetes, hypoglycemic agents should be used for the treatment of patients with diabetes, based on their hypoglycemic effect. Therefore, if even a slight positive effect of any of the hypoglycemic medications on cognitive functions is shown, these data will be an indisputable additional advantage that should be taken into account when choosing between different options of hypoglycemic therapy, especially in elderly and senile patients with diabetes.

Key words: diabetes complications, cognitive impairment, dementia, prevention, treatment, hypoglycemic therapy.

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