Changes of glucose levels precede dementia in African-Americans with diabetes but not in Caucasians

Abstract Introduction Changes in glucose levels may represent a powerful metabolic indicator of dementia in African-Americans with diabetes. It is unclear whether these changes also occur in Caucasians. Methods A secondary data analysis using electronic medical records from 5228 African-Americans and Caucasians aged ≥65 years was carried out. Mixed effects models with repeated serum glucose measurements were used to compare changes in glucose levels between African-Americans and Caucasian patients with and without incident dementia. Results African-Americans and Caucasians with diabetes had significantly different changes in glucose levels by dementia status ( P P P  = .3071). Discussion Significant changes in glucose levels precede dementia in African-American patients with diabetes but not in Caucasians.