A new study has found type 2 diabetes may have a direct link to decreased cognitive function in some people.

Researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center showed that as the average blood sugar levels rise in people suffering from type 2 diabetes, their cognitive function appears to decrease.

The findings were published in this month’s issue of Diabetes Care and comes from the ongoing Memory in Diabetes study.

For the recent study at Wake Forest, approximately 3,000 participants age 55 and older were given a number of 30-minute tests at various trial sites around the country.

"[W]e tested one’s ability to switch back and forth between memory tasks or to multitask, an important skill for people needing to manage their diabetes," said Dr. Jeff Williamson, principal investigator for the study at the Wake Forest.

Williamson added that one of the complications from type 2 diabetes is memory decline, which in some cases can lead to dementia.

"This study adds to the growing evidence that poorer blood glucose control is strongly associated with poorer memory function and that these associations can be detected well before a person develops severe memory loss," Williamson said.