Objective: The diabetes epidemic is increasing at an alarming rate in Saudi Arabia. Diabetes and dementia share some pathogeneses, including inflammatory markers, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. Dementia may substantially influence diabetes self-care activities (DCSAs), thereby initiating a vicious cycle of complications. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effects of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on DSCA.
Patients and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 206 consecutive patients attending the diabetes center in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia, during the period from December 2021 to November 2022. A structured questionnaire was administered face-to-face, including sociodemographic data, the Diabetes Self-care Questionnaire, the Mini Cognitive Assessment Tool, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Questionnaire. All the participants signed a written informed consent form, and both the Ethical Committees of the University of Tabuk and the Directorate General of Health Affairs, Tabuk, approved the research.
Results: There were 206 patients with diabetes (63.1% women). Dyslipidemia, hypertension, and depression were reported in 59.8%, 55.9%, and 24.3% of patients, respectively, while MCI was reported in 51.5% of patients. MCI was positively correlated with age. MCI also had negative effects on diabetes self-care activities and HbA1c, but these effects were not statistically significant (odds ratio, 0.750, 95% CI, 0.56-1.00, p-value, 0.055, and odds ratio, 1.21, 95% CI, 0.99-1.08, p-value, 0.081, respectively). No significant relationship was found regarding the duration of diabetes, depression, and dyslipidemia (95% CI, 0.95-1.09, 0.32-4.57, and 0.76-8.30, respectively).
Conclusions: MCI and associated comorbidities were common among patients with diabetes in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. No association was found between MCI and DSCA, dyslipidemia, hypertension, or duration of diabetes.