Bayer Diagnostics's portable DCA2000+ analyser can help counter the increased risk of dementia in Type 2 diabetes patients by promoting improved glycaemic control at the point of care
Study findings presented at the 10th International Conference of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders suggest that patients aged 50 or over with Type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease when their glycaemic (blood sugar) levels are poorly controlled.
The study, presented to delegates at the conference in the form of an abstract, found that Type 2 diabetes patients with HbA1c levels in excess of 15% have a 78% greater risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer's disease or cognitive decline in the next decade than patients who control their condition more effectively.
Those with very poor glycaemic control whose HbA1c levels exceed 10% were also found to be at increased risk of incident dementia.
HbA1c (also known as glycosylated haemoglobin) is a blood test that provides a history of a patient's blood glucose levels over a period of 8-12 weeks.
This test is now easy to accomplish at the point of care using the portable DCA 2000+ analyser from Bayer Diagnostics (a division of Bayer HealthCare).
The UK Department of Health recommends that all people with diabetes should have their HbA1c measured at least twice a year, and it has been shown that immediate feedback of results strongly motivates patients to improve their glycaemic control.
Bayer's DCA 2000+ is able to detect even the smallest changes in a patient's HbA1c, taking only six minutes to produce a highly accurate result from just 1ul of capillary/venous blood.
Such immediacy creates an ideal opportunity for results to be discussed directly with patients during the course of a single consultation.
This enhances patients' sense of empowerment by directly demonstrating the effects that changes in medication, diet and/or lifestyle have made to their condition.
Having HbA1c results available during the course of consultations helps to inform therapeutic decisions for patients with Type 2 diabetes, enabling steps to be taken that may reduce the risk of them developing dementia in later life.
