Objective: To study the expressions of sortilin-related receptor 1 (SORL1) gene and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in elderly diabetic and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients and to analyze the correlation of the levels of SORL1 gene and IGF-1. Methods: A total of 30 elderly diabetic and AD patients were enrolled in group A, and 30 elderly AD without diabetic patients were enrolled in group B, and 30 elderly diabetic without AD patients were enrolled in group C, and the other 30 elderly healthy people were enrolled in group D. The serum levels of SORL1 mRNA were detected by PCR, and the serum levels of IGF-1 and Aβ were detected by ELISA. The expressions of microtubule-binding protein (Tau) phosphorylation were detected by immunohistochemical staining. All above indexes were compared among four groups. The correlations of the levels of SORL1 gene and IGF-1 in four groups were analyzed by Pearson test. Results: The levels of SORL1 mRNA were different among four groups, and the sequences were group A > group B > group C > group D (all P<0.05). The levels of IGF-1 and Aβ and the positive rate of Tau protein phosphorylation were different among four groups, and the group A was highest (all P<0.05), the group B was the second highest, but there was no difference between the group C and D (P>0.05). By Pearson test, there was negative correlation between SORL1 mRNA and IGF-1 levels in group A (r=−0.723, P=0.013), but there were no correlation between SORL1 mRNA and IGF-1 levels in other three groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: The abnormal expressions of SORL1 gene and IGF-1 in elderly diabetes and AD patients can influence Aβ and Tau proteins formation, which need further study to prove it.