Cognitive Function in Children and Subsequent Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE To assess whether a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes by age 42 years is associated with prior cognitive deficits in childhood. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Logistic regression estimated type 2 diabetes risk among 9,113 members of the 1958 British birth cohort of the National Child Development Study (NCDS). Associations with type 2 diabetes were estimated for general ability and reading comprehension assessments at age 11 years, modeled using SD units. Adjustment was for markers of early-life exposures, social and material family characteristics, sex, and disability, with further adjustment for BMI at age 7 years. RESULTS Adjusted odds ratios (95% CIs) for type 2 diabetes (n = 69) are 0.67 (0.51-0.87) for general ability and 0.58 (0.44-0.77) for reading comprehension. Neither additional adjustment for BMI, nor limiting the definition of type 2 diabetes to onset after age 33 years altered the associations substantially. CONCLUSIONS Impaired cognitive function may precede clinical onset of type 2 diabetes.