Assessing cognitive impairment in Saudi Arabian diabetes patients: A cross-sectional study in Aseer region

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A BSTRACT Background: According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes mellitus is a collection of metabolic illnesses marked by hyperglycemia brought on by deficiencies in either insulin action or secretion or both. Long-term heart, blood vessel, kidney, eye, and nerve dysfunction has been associated with chronic hyperglycemia. The gradual decline in mental capacity and cognition, specifically in verbal memory, processing speed, and executive functions, is one of the most recent complications of diabetes. Methods: This cross-sectional study (August–December 2023) in the Aseer region included over 246 diabetic patients aged ≥18 years with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Data were collected via electronic questionnaires assessing demographics, clinical factors, cognitive function (MoCA), and diabetes-related distress (DDS-17). Ethical approval was granted by King Khalid University’s Research Ethics Committee. Analyses using SPSS v31 included descriptive, correlation, and multivariate regression tests to identify risk factors. Results: The results indicated a statistically significant but weak negative correlation between age and cognitive impairment scores (r = -0.093, P = 0.035), suggesting that as age increased, cognitive function slightly declined among participants. Although the strength of the relationship was modest, it reached significance at the 0.05 level. The correlation between age and HbA1c was positive but not statistically significant (r = 0.113, P = 0.097), indicating a trend where older participants tended to have higher HbA1c levels, though this association could not be confirmed statistically. Conclusion: Diabetes is closely associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment. In this study, gender, age, HbA1c, marital status, and residence showed significant links to cognitive scores. Effective diabetes control helps reduce cognitive decline as higher HbA1c levels were strongly associated with greater impairment severity. Ongoing research is vital to identify high-risk individuals and develop targeted interventions.

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