OLDER adults with Type 1 diabetes are nearly three times more likely to develop dementia than those without, a 2026 prospective cohort study found.
Those with Type 2 diabetes also face elevated risk, with researchers finding them to be more than twice as likely to develop dementia than counterparts without diabetes.
Diabetes is a well-established determinant of dementia risk, researchers reported.
However, the particular influence of Type 1 diabetes on dementia risk has previously been unknown.
All of Us Cohort
Researchers used data from the All of Us cohort study, a convenience sample of adults aged 50 or above in the USA.
Enrolment began in 2017, with data available through October 2023.
Average follow-up was nearly 2.5 years.
Threefold Increased Dementia Risk
Using electronic health record data from the All of Us cohort, researchers analysed nearly 284,000 participants with an average age of around 65-years-old among whom they measured incident dementia.
Approximately 57% of participants were women, 60% identified as non-Hispanic White, and 13% Hispanic/Latino.
Nearly 5,500 participants had Type 1 diabetes.
During a 2.4-year follow-up period, more than 2,300 participants developed dementia.
Those with Type 1 diabetes had a nearly threefold higher risk for incident dementia.
Results were consistent following adjustment for sociodemographic factors including sex, race, and ethnicity.
An estimated 64.5% of dementia cases in people with Type 1 diabetes could be attributed to the condition, researchers reported.
Those with Type 2 diabetes also had elevated risk: they were more than twice as likely as those without diabetes to develop dementia.
Authors noted that people with Type 1 diabetes have more frequent contact with healthcare systems and therefore may have been more likely to receive an earlier dementia diagnosis.
Clinical Implications
Researchers suggested that findings highlight the need to better understand mechanisms tying Type 1 diabetes to dementia.
It was reported that Type 1 diabetes may carry distinct risks for dementia, partly driven by autoimmune beta cell destruction.
Reference
Pederson A M et al. Type 1 diabetes and incident dementia: an analysis in the all of us cohort. Neurol. 2026;106(7):DOI:10.1212/WNL.0000000000214805.
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