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Low-grade albuminuria is associated with poor memory performance in the nondemented Chinese elderly with type 2 diabetes

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Abstract

Recent studies have correlated cognitive function with albuminuria. We investigated the association between low-grade albuminuria and cognitive performance in nondemented elderly with type 2 diabetes in Fuzhou, China. Between January, 2013 and December, 2014, a retrospective study was performed in 815 patients with type 2 diabetes (398 female and 417 male patients), ages ≥60 years, with normal urinary albumin to creatinine ratios (UACR <30 mg/g). Patients were stratified into tertiles based on UACR levels (lowest tertile, UACR <5.8 mg/g; highest tertile, UACR ≥18.1 mg/g). Cognitive function was measured using the Mini Mental State Examination. UACR tertiles correlated directly (p < 0.05) with age, duration of diabetes, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and pulse wave velocity (PWV). Patients in the second and highest tertiles performed significantly worse on memory and language than those in the lowest UACR tertile (p < 0.05). The association between UACR and memory loss was stronger in patients younger than 70 years of age and in those with a history of diabetes for less than 10 years. Low-grade albuminuria is associated with poor memory performance, especially in the youngest old (60–69 years) and in those with shorter duration of diabetes (< 10 years). Type 2 diabetics with urinary albumin excretion in the upper normal range were also at risk for declining memory performance.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the young personnel training program of Fujian Province (2014-ZQN-JC-16). We would like to thank Clarity Manuscript Consultants LLC (Indianapolis) for technical assistance in editing the manuscript. No funding source had any influence on study design or outcome.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Endocrinology Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Tea Road 20, Taijiang District, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350005, China

    Lingning Huang, Liyong Yang, Peiwen Wu, Xiaofang Yan & Sunjie Yan

  2. Fujian Hypertension Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Tea Road 20, Taijiang District, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350005, China

    Li Luo

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  1. Lingning Huang
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  2. Liyong Yang
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  3. Peiwen Wu
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  4. Xiaofang Yan
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  6. Sunjie Yan
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Correspondence to Sunjie Yan.

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Huang, L., Yang, L., Wu, P. et al. Low-grade albuminuria is associated with poor memory performance in the nondemented Chinese elderly with type 2 diabetes. Metab Brain Dis 32, 1975–1981 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-017-0094-1

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