Prevalence and Associated Factors of Cognitive Dysfunction Among Middle-Aged Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in South India: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Cognitive dysfunction significantly influences people's day-to-day functioning by impairing their capacity for thought, memory, and problem-solving. The major risk factor for cognitive dysfunction is diabetes mellitus. The middle-aged population is the main breadwinners of the family, yet the most neglected when it comes to health. With our study, we evaluated the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among middle-aged patients with diabetes mellitus and identified the risk factors associated with it. Subjects and methods We conducted a study involving 329 middle-aged patients (aged 40-69) with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending the outpatient department (OPD) of community and family medicine (CFM), general medicine, and endocrinology at a medical college located in the southern region of India. We assessed cognitive dysfunction in these patients using a standardized cognitive screening tool. Then, an interview schedule was taken, which contained information on sociodemographic variables and anthropometry. Recent reports of investigations, viz., fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) values, and body mass index (BMI) were also recorded. Institutional ethics committee approval was obtained prior to the start of the study. Written informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Results The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age of the participants was found to be 51 ± 5.6 years. Among the 329 middle-aged participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus, there were 162 male participants (49.24%) and 167 female participants (50.76%). The prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among middle-aged patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the current study was 48.6%, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 43.2%-54%. In contrast, higher years of completed education, better socioeconomic status class, and receiving two or more doses of COVID-19 vaccines were associated with lower odds of cognitive dysfunction, indicating a protective effect. Conclusions It is crucial for India to prioritize cognitive health, invest in research and education, and develop comprehensive strategies to address this growing issue among the middle-aged diabetic population. Focused efforts of prevention, screening, and managing cognitive impairment should be started.