Ghrelin may predict cognitive impairment

(HealthDay)—Blood levels of ghrelin may be a predictor of executive function impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), according to a study published online Sept. 30 in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.

Siting Chen, M.D., from Anhui Medical University in Hefei, China, and colleagues analyzed ghrelin levels in blood samples from 212 patients with T2DM and 158 controls.

The researchers found that age, education year, duration of diabetes, fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, hypertension, and waist-to-hip ratio were correlated with total Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores in the T2DM group. There was no association between ghrelin level and total MoCA score in patients with T2DM. However, ghrelin was a significant predictor for executive function impairment in patients with T2DM measured by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.

"The level of serum ghrelin might be a biomarker of executive function and become a strong predictor of executive function impairment in patients with T2DM," the authors write. "Ghrelin might have a potential protective effect against cognitive function impairment in type 2 diabetic patients."