Several medical students at the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine contributed to newly published research examining factors that predict cognitive changes in older adults with type 1 diabetes. Cognitive decline can lead to challenges with diabetes management and other complications.
Justin Gillette, Hariharan Malmurugan, Jacob Satake, and Anjali Sharma co-authored the study with lead author Miranda Zuniga-Kennedy, MS, a clinical psychology graduate student at WSU.
Published in Diabetes, Obesity, and CardioMetabolic CARE, the study identified several risk factors for cognitive decline in this population, including high blood pressure, nerve damage, and severe blood sugar lows. The researchers highlight the importance of screening and monitoring at-risk patients.
The work was part of a larger multi-site clinical trial testing automated insulin delivery in older adults, co-led by senior author and Department of Community and Behavioral Health Chair Naomi Chaytor, PhD.