Can type 2 diabetes increase Alzheimer's risk? What you need to know

People with diabetes could be at a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, a review of studies has found. The risk could go up to 53 per cent, in comparison to those living without the metabolic disorder. 

According to researchers from Australia's Curtin University, who conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 studies, it was found that if 1,000 people living with type 2 diabetes were followed for a year, an estimated average of 4.7 would develop Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder in which memory and thought processes steadily decline with age. Experts say cognitive risk prevention should be integrated into diabetes care. 

"Individuals with T2D (type 2 diabetes) experienced approximately five AD (Alzheimer's disease) cases per 1,000 person-years and a 53 per cent higher risk of AD, supporting the rationale for integrating cognitive risk prevention into diabetes care," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Alzheimer's Research and Therapy.

The study also mentions that relative risk tells us how two groups compare, while incidence tells us how often new cases occur: putting those numbers together gives us a clearer picture of the burden of Alzheimer's disease among people living with type 2 diabetes. 

According to PTI, databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL and Embase were searched for publications from inception until April 2026. Forty studies, involving 27,102,559 data points, and looking at the incidence of Alzheimer's disease among people with diabetes or link between the two disorders, were analysed.