The impact of gender differences on the cognitive function of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients

Abstract

Introduction. Female sex is considered a risk factor for dementia. A limited number of studies have studied the role of gender differences on the cognitive function of type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) patients with varying results. This study aims to determine the impact of gender differences on the cognitive impairment (CI) risk in type 2 DM patients. Material and methods. This study used a case-control research design. Samples were recruited consecutively. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test and logistic regression, expressed in odds ratio (OR) (95% CI) with a significance level of P <0.05 Outcomes. Sixty patients with diabetes met the eligibility criteria. The bivariate analysis found that female gender [OR=3.75 (95% CI 1.23-11.38), P=0.017], low education level, and hypertension were associated with CI in type 2 DM. Independent risk factors for CI in type 2 DM from the multivariate analysis were low education level and hypertension. Conclusions. Based on this study, female gender is not an independent risk factor for cognitive dysfunction in patients with type 2 DM.