Background/aims: Diabetes-related dementia (DrD), a dementia subgroup associated with specific diabetes mellitus (DM)-related metabolic abnormalities, is clinically and pathophysiologically different from Alzheimer disease (AD) and vascular dementia. We determined whether skeletal muscle strength, quality, and mass decrease in individuals with DrD.
Methods: We evaluated grip and knee extension strength, muscle mass, and gait speed in 106 patients with probable AD and without type 2 DM (AD[-DM] group), 74 patients with probable AD and with DM (AD[+DM] group), and 36 patients with DrD (DrD group). Muscle quality was defined as the ratio of muscle strength to muscle mass.
Results: Both female and male subjects with DrD showed significantly decreased muscle strength and quality in the upper extremities compared with the subjects with AD[-DM] or AD[+DM]. Female subjects with DrD showed significantly decreased muscle quality in the lower extremities compared with the subjects with AD[-DM]. Both female and male subjects with DrD had a significantly lower gait speed compared with the subjects with AD[-DM]. However, there were no significant differences in muscle mass and the prevalence of sarcopenia between the groups.
Conclusion: Subjects with DrD showed decreased muscle strength and quality, but not muscle mass, and had a low gait speed.
Keywords: Alzheimer disease; Dementia; Diabetes mellitus; Dynapenia; Muscle; Sarcopenia.