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The risk of incident disability was 47% greater in diabetics than in nondiabetics. Dr. Zoe Arvanitakis of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago stated that, "Diabetes is common and becoming more common and it’s important to recognize that the disease does affect motor function and leads to disability."
As part of The Religious Orders Study, 922 older Catholic nuns, priests, and brothers underwent detailed medical exams yearly for up to 10 years. Diabetes was present in a total of 144 subjects (15.6%) at baseline.
"In analyses controlling for age, gender, and education, diabetes was associated with worsening manual dexterity and lower limb function," Dr. Arvanitakis said.
"Persons with diabetes started at a lower rate of motor function and also declined at a faster rate compared to persons without diabetes," she said. Twenty-seven percent of diabetics became dependent in at least one activity of daily living during follow up.
"Another important finding," Dr. Arvanitakis said, is that the risk of incident disability was 47% greater in diabetics than in nondiabetics.
Earlier this month, Dr. Arvanitakis reported results indicating that diabetes accelerates the progression of rigidity and gait disturbances in older persons. (see Diabetes In Control Issue #228).
These studies, she said, "reinforce that we need to identify diabetes early and treat it early to try to prevent disability."
Research reported last week at the 129th annual meeting of the American Neurological Association.
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DID YOU KNOW:
That chronic kidney failure more than doubled in 90s, another sign of America’s obesity epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cases of chronic kidney failure rose from about 700 per one (M) million of population, to more than 14-hundred. The 104-percent increase is even bigger than researchers expected, and they say obesity plays an important role. Obesity can lead to diabetes and high blood pressure, conditions that can cause kidney failure.