Type 2 diabetes as a risk factor for dementia in colder climates: Panel data evidence for United States.

Dementia is the general name for a group of neurodegenerative disorders which predominantly manifest in older age brackets. While the precise cause of dementia is still not known, there are several associations which are considered to be risk factors. Both human and animal studies suggest common pathways for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and dementia, placing T2D as a potential risk factor for developing dementia later on in life. This may or may not be a causal relationship but there appears to be an association between the two chronic conditions. Even though old age is seen as a major risk factor for dementia, there are recent theories attempting to explain why this might be the case. Older individuals tend to have slightly lower body temperatures. Furthermore, recent in vitro and in vivo animal studies show that neurodegenerative disorders may both cause and be influenced by thermosregulatory deficits, resulting in hypothermia, suggesting a role for cold exposure in development of dementias. This paper aims to fill the void in literature by seeking empirical evidence for the possibility of an association between T2D and dementia both in the presence and absence of cold exposure in a panel data framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]