A Curtin University-led review has revealed type 2 diabetes significantly raises risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 studies and found if 1000 people living with type 2 diabetes were followed for a year, an estimated average of 4.7 would develop Alzheimer’s.

In a separate analysis, type 2 diabetes was associated with a 53 per cent higher adjusted relative risk of Alzheimer’s disease, compared with people living without type 2 diabetes.

Study author Dr Emmanuel Adewuyi, an NHMRC Investigator Fellow at the Curtin School of Population Health, said the review was important as it quantifies the relative risk and incidence if Alzheimer’s in people living with type 2 diabetes.

“While many earlier reviews combined different types of diabetes or dementia, this review focused specifically on type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease and estimated how often new cases occurred," Dr Adewuyi said.

"Relative risk tells us how two groups compare, while incidence tells us how often new cases occur: putting those numbers together gives us a clearer picture of the burden of Alzheimer’s disease among people living with type 2 diabetes.”

Incidence and risk of Alzheimer’s disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis was published in Alzheimer's Research & Therapy.