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Higher glucose levels may increase the risk of dementia, results of a prospective, community-based cohort study indicate. Researchers analyzed the relationship between glucose levels and the risk of dementia in 2,067 subjects (839 men and 1,228 women) who were 65 years old or older at baseline; 232 had diabetes and 1,835 did not. During follow-up (a median of 6.8 years), dementia developed in 524 of the 2,067 participants, 450 (26%) without diabetes and 74 (22%) with diabetes. Higher average glucose levels over the previous five years were associated with an increased risk of dementia among participants with and without diabetes. The results, published in the August 8 New England Journal of Medicine, suggest that higher glucose levels may adversely affect the aging brain and that interventions that reduce glucose levels are needed.