Demographic and general medical characteristics of patients and control subjects
| Characteristic | Control subjects | Type 1 diabetic patients |
|---|---|---|
| n (male/female) | 40 (16/24) | 40 (23/17) |
| Mean age (years)* | 61.6 ± 5 | 60.9 ± 6† |
| Education level (median)‡ | 4 (4–5) | 5 (4–6)§ |
| Estimated IQ | 101.2 ± 14.1 | 108.1 ± 11.7§ |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 27.3 ± 5.1 | 23.7 ± 2.3‖ |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 135.2 ± 18.8 | 142.0 ± 22.6 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) | 79.7 ± 11.1 | 73.5 ± 9.9§ |
| Hypertension (%)*¶ | 38 | 45† |
| Atherosclerotic disease (%)*# | 20 | 25†** |
| Fasting triglycerides (mmol/l) | 1.7 ± 1.2 | 0.9 ± 0.5‖ |
| Fasting serum cholesterol (mmol/l) | 5.9 ± 1.1 | 5.3 ± 0.9§ |
| Hypercholesterolemia (%)*†† | 48 | 35† |
| A1C (%)* | 5.5 ± 0.4 | 7.7 ± 1.0†‖ |
| Retrograde A1C (%)*‡‡ | — | 7.7 ± 0.9† |
Data are given as means ± SD or median (interquartile range) unless otherwise indicated.
§ P < 0.05;
‖ P < 0.001.
* Entered as explanatory variable in exploratory regression analyses with cognition or MRI as dependent variables within the type 1 diabetic group; statistically significant association with any cognitive domain scores are indicated as
** P < 0.05; statistically significant association with any MRI outcome measure are indicated as **P < 0.05. Details are provided in results.
‡ Education level was recorded using seven categories that can be transferred to years of education: <6, 6–7, 8–9, 10–11, 12–18, and >18, respectively.
¶ Hypertension is defined as an average systolic blood pressure ≥160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥95 mmHg and/or self-reported use of blood pressure–lowering drugs.
# Atherosclerotic disease is defined as suffering from self-reported angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, or intermittent claudication.
†† Hypercholesterolemia is defined as a fasting cholesterol >6.2 mmol/l and/or self-reported use of cholesterol lowering drugs.
‡‡ Retrograde data (up to 5 years, mean 3.9 years, mean intra-individual variation coefficient 4.1%) on A1C levels were obtained through the case records.