AD/PD 2022 | What underlies the increased risk of dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes?

Florin Despa, PhD, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, talks on amylin as a potential link between type 2 diabetes and dementia. Amylin is a pancreatic hormone synthesized and co-secreted with insulin. As seen in almost 90% of patients with type 2 diabetes, pancreatic amylin can aggregate to from amyloid fibrils that are thought to play a role in the loss of islet β-cells. It is hypothesized that the overproduction of amylin in individuals with pre-diabetic insulin resistance leads to amylin oligomerization and subsequent deposition in the brain vasculature. In this way, hyperamylinemia may be associated with an increased risk of accelerated cognitive decline and dementia in patients with type 2 diabetes. This interview took place at the AD/PD™ 2022 Conference in Barcelona, Spain.