TEL AVIV, Israel, March 6 (UPI) -- Tel Aviv University researchers confirm that type 2 diabetes can be a risk factor accelerating cognitive decline and dementia.

Dr. Tali Cukierman-Yaffe of Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine found that people with diabetes were 1.5 more likely to experience cognitive decline and 1.6 more likely to suffer from dementia than people without diabetes.

Her findings, published in the journal Diabetes Care, suggests that higher-than-average levels of blood glucose may have a role in this relationship.

"Our results send an important message to the public," Cukierman-Yaffe said in a statement. "We have shown conclusively that there is a relationship between diabetes and cognitive dysfunction. This should be known by diabetics and their doctors. Knowledge is the first step towards action."

The findings show that in people with type 2 diabetes, higher levels of hemoglobin A1C -- a measure of average blood glucose -- are significantly associated with poorer performance on three cognitive tasks which require memory, speed and ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time.

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