In a new study, researchers found that poor sleep is linked to lower cognitive function in people with type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.
Diabetic patients who have lower sleep efficiency (how much time in bed is actually spent sleeping) have poorer cognitive functions than those with better sleep efficiency.
The research was conducted by a team from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.
Previous research has shown that diabetes is linked to cognitive impairment and a higher risk of dementia.
Other studies have found that sleep disturbances, which are common in people with diabetes, are also linked to cognitive impairment
In the new study, the team examined the link between sleep and cognitive function in patients with abnormal blood sugar tolerance.
A total of 162 patients took part in the study: 81 with Type 2 diabetes and 81 with pre-diabetes. The average age of the participants was 55 years.
The team focused on sleep duration and sleep efficiency, a measure of how much time in bed is spent sleeping, and an important indicator of sleep quality.
They found that better sleep efficiency was linked to better cognitive function scores for people with diabetes and pre-diabetes.
In addition, having diabetes was linked to lower cognitive function scores.
The team says that the cognitive effects of poor sleep quality are worse for this population.
Future work needs to look at whether helping these patients sleep better could improve their cognitive function.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Sirimon Reutrakul, associate professor of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism.
The study is published in the journal Acta Diabetologica.
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