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Predicting cognitive ability in ageing cohorts using Type 2 diabetes genetic risk
Author(s) -
Luciano M.,
Mõttus R.,
Harris S. E.,
Davies G.,
Payton A.,
Ollier W. E. R.,
Horan M. A.,
Starr J. M.,
Porteous D. J.,
Pendleton N.,
Deary I. J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/dme.12389
Subject(s) - medicine , type 2 diabetes , dementia , diabetes mellitus , single nucleotide polymorphism , cognition , cognitive decline , type 1 diabetes , comorbidity , gerontology , genetics , psychiatry , endocrinology , disease , genotype , biology , gene
Aims To investigate whether there is overlap in the genetic determinants of Type 2 diabetes and cognitive ageing by testing whether a genetic risk score for Type 2 diabetes can predict variation in cognitive function in older people without dementia. Methods Type 2 diabetes genetic risk scores were estimated using various single nucleotide polymorphism significance inclusion criteria from an initial genome‐wide association study, the largest in Type 2 diabetes to date. Scores were available for 2775–3057 individuals, depending on the cognitive trait. Results Type 2 diabetes genetic risk was associated with self‐reported diabetes mellitus. Across varying single nucleotide polymorphism‐inclusion levels, a significant association between Type 2 diabetes genetic risk and change in general cognitive function was found (median r = 0.04); however, this was such that higher Type 2 diabetes genetic risk related to higher cognitive scores. Conclusions To investigate more fully the source of the often observed comorbidity between Type 2 diabetes and cognitive impairment, one direction for future research will be to use cognitive ability polygenic risk scores to predict Type 2 diabetes in line with the reverse causation hypothesis that people with lower pre‐morbid cognitive ability are more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.