Article Sidebar
Published:
Jan 22, 2008Article Details
Copyright remains in the Author’s name. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial Works License. Authors are required to complete and sign an Author Agreement form that outlines Author and Publisher rights and terms of publication. The Agreement form should be uploaded along with other submissions files and any submission will be considered incomplete without it [forthcoming].
Material submitted for publication in the SAMJ is accepted provided it has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere. Please inform the editorial team if the main findings of your paper have been presented at a conference and published in abstract form, to avoid copyright infringement. The SAMJ does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors.
Previously published images
If an image/figure has been previously published, permission to reproduce or alter it must be obtained by the authors from the original publisher and the figure legend must give full credit to the original source. This credit should be accompanied by a letter indicating that permission to reproduce the image has been granted to the author/s. This letter should be uploaded as a supplementary file during submission.
Main Article Content
Executive cognitive impairment detected by simple bedside testing is associated with poor glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes
Abstract
Aims. Cognitive impairment in people with type 2 diabetes is a barrier to successful disease management. We sought to determine whether impaired executive function as detected by a battery of simple bedside cognitive tests of executive function
was associated with inadequate glycaemic control.
Methods. People with type 2 diabetes attending a tertiary referral diabetic clinic who consented to participate in the study underwent a brief battery of cognitive testing (the
Bedside Executive Screening Test) designed to detect executive function impairment. Glycaemic control was determined using blood glycated haemoglobin levels (HBA1c). Inadequate glycaemic control was defined as HBA1c ≥7%. Results. Executive function impairment was detected in 51 (52%) of the 98 study participants. The presence of executive function impairment was significantly associated with poor glycaemic control (HBA1c ≥7%) (odds ratio 4.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3 - 18.8, p=0.019). There were no significant differences between patients with and without executive
function impairment with regard to age, target organ damage, patient reported adherence, and hypoglycaemic therapy. Patients with a lower level of education were more likely to demonstrate executive impairment when glycaemic control was poor (p=0.013).
Conclusions. Executive function impairment is common in a population of people with difficult-to-manage type 2 diabetes. The presence of executive impairment is significantly
associated with poor glycaemic control.
South African Medical Journal Vol. 97 (11) 2007: pp. 1074-1076
