Diabetes in middle age could make you four times more likely to develop dementia

• Diabetes may contribute to the build-up of harmful proteins in the brain 
• Those aged 55 who had diabetes were 4.3 times more likely to get dementia in the ten years after they turned 65, researchers found in a study with 5K people
• Most had type 2 diabetes, linked to an unhealthy diet and being overweight

Having type 2 diabetes in middle age could mean you are four times more likely to develop dementia - Daily Mail reports.

Researchers who tracked almost 5,000 people over a decade found those aged 55 who had diabetes were 4.3 times more likely to get dementia in the ten years after they turned 65.

The study, published in the journal Neurology, found most will have had type 2 diabetes, which is linked to an unhealthy diet and being overweight.

Diabetes has long been linked to dementia, with experts suspecting it can lead to the build-up of potentially harmful proteins in the brain.

Professor Emer McGrath, who led the study from the National University of Ireland, Galway, said: ‘This shows that people who have diabetes in their 50s are more likely to develop dementia – probably because having the condition at a younger age can do more damage to your body and brain.’