There are scarce studies of possible subgroups of risk within diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. However, the present findings suggesting varying cardiovascular risk is indirectly supported by some earlier data. In a population-based study, high insulin predicted better survival in elderly individuals with cardiovascular disease (8). It could be considered that this is due to “senile devitalization” or frailty, but lower cholesterol absorption associated with high insulin would be an alternative explanation. Although diabetes has been associated with dementia in longitudinal studies, an interesting recent autopsy analysis of patients with Alzheimer’s disease; unexpectedly reported less Alzheimer-associated neuropathology in old survivors with diabetes (31) |