New research suggests that people with diabetic complications are more likely to develop dementia.

Researchers found that people who have diabetes and experience high rates of complications are more likely to develop dementia as they age than people who have fewer diabetic complications.

An individual develops diabetes when the pancreas doesn't produce enough of the hormone insulin or the body can't use insulin properly to process sugar. When blood sugar levels remain high due to uncontrolled diabetes, serious complications can develop, including blindness, kidney failure and decreased blood flow in limbs that can lead to amputation.

"Our research is the first nationwide study to examine how the severity and progression of diabetes is related to dementia diagnosis rates in an older population," said Wei-Che Chiu, one of the study authors. "We found that as diabetes progresses and an individual experiences more complications from the disease, the risk of dementia rises as well."

For the 12-year study, researchers analyzed the data of more than 431,000 people who were older than 50 and newly diagnosed with diabetes.

To evaluate the progression of each individual's diabetes, the researchers used an adapted version of the Diabetes Complications Severity Index, a tool used to predict deaths and hospitalizations among people with diabetes.

Among the people in the cohort 6.2 percent of them were diagnosed with dementia. The risk of developing dementia was higher among people who had a high score on the Diabetes Complications Severity Index than for those who had a low score.

"The study demonstrates why it is so crucial for people with diabetes to work closely with health care providers on controlling their blood sugar," Chiu said. "Managing the disease can help prevent the onset of dementia later in life."

The findings are detailed in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.