Insulin, glucose and glycated hemoglobin in Alzheimer's and vascular dementia with and without superimposed Type II diabetes mellitus condition

Abstract

Increased concentrations of insulin, glucose and glycohemoglobin are associated with Type II diabetes mellitus (DM) and recognized as characteristic markers of the disease; in Alzheimer's (AD), Vascular dementia (VaD), and both dementia's with superimposed diabetes (AD + DM, VaD + DM) the knowledge is scarce. The sample (n = 122; males = 60; mean age = 73 +/- 7) comprised DM, AD, VaD, AD + DM, and VaD + DM patients, and healthy controls (C). The ANOVA's yielded significant differences between groups: Insulin p = 3.7 x 10(-3); Glucose p < 10(-12); Glycohemoglobin p = 9.2x10(-4). Comparisons between groups (DM vs. C, AD + DM vs. AD, VaD + DM vs. VaD, and demented DM vs. non-demented DM) resulted significant for all variables (Bonferroni's statistic, alpha = 0.05). Diabetic and diabetic demented patients presented significant increases largely different from controls (0.01 < p < 0.001), unlike the non-significant changes in their non-diabetic counterparts; linear relationships were found across all groups. The correlation's insulin/glucose and insulin/glycohemoglobin change to positive within demented groups, indicating a different performance of insulin in demented and non-demented subjects.