Effects of exercise and nutrition on memory in Japanese Americans with impaired glucose tolerance.

T ype 2 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and associated hyperinsulinemia increase the risk for impaired verbal memory (1–3). In rodents, insulin resistance adversely affects brain structures that support memory (4). In humans, pharmacologic management of diabetes improves cognitive functioning (5,6). Weight loss and exercise decrease the incidence of diabetes (7,8). This study examined whether endurance exercise and dietary fat restriction would improve cognition in Japanese American adults who have a high risk for IGT and type 2 diabetes (9).