For the millions of people living with type 2 diabetes (463 million worldwide), damage to the retina and cognitive impairment are two major complications that can severely affect their quality of life. Approximately one in three people living with diabetes develops diabetes-related retinopathy and one in ten develops a vision-threatening form of the disease. People living with T2D are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as the general population, leading to cognitive decline and dementia. In turn, cognitive impairment makes it particularly difficult to properly manage one’s diabetes and avoid other diabetes-related complications.
To identify the risk for people living with T2D diabetes of developing cognitive impairment, early diagnosis is vital. Recognised is seeking to use the eye, specifically alterations to the retina, as a tool for identifying early cognitive impairment. Amongst others, the project is studying the biological mechanisms involved in diabetes-related retinopathy to ascertain whether they can be linked to changes in the brain associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
On June 21, 2021, the 21 partners of the Recognised consortium gathered online for the project’s General Assembly meeting. Nine European countries were represented by various organisations including academic and public institutions, enterprises, and patient organisations including IDF Europe. The meeting was an exciting opportunity for project partners to present their work to date across the different work packages, and notably, the progress made in the clinical studies and scientific research.
IDF Europe is involved in the project’s dissemination and communication activities. A project website has been set up to outline Recognised’s main objectives as well as provide information on recently released results and presentations. Interviews with work package leaders and people living with diabetes are underway and will also be available on the website over the next few months.
Recognised is a four-year research project receiving funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 847749.
