Treatment of an elderly patients with diabetes

Czech version

Authors: Zdeněk Rušavý; Michal Žourek
Authors‘ workplace: Diabetologické centrum I. interní kliniky LF UK a FN Plzeň, přednosta prof. MUDr. Martin Matějovič, Ph. D.
Published in: Vnitř Lék 2015; 61(4): 321-327
Category: Reviews

Overview

Type 2 diabetes has become a pandemic disease over the past 50 years. Its incidence increases the most rapidly in the senior population, i.e. among people older than 65. In a number of countries 1/4 of the people with diabetes are now older than 65 years. Geriatrics now examines numerous differences regarding the senior patients, which often lead to somewhat different therapeutic procedures as compared to the treatment of other adult patients. This paper aims to show some different aspects of the treatment of an elderly patient with diabetes. The intensity of diabetes treatment in the elderly is mainly defined by the incidence of symptoms caused by diabetic decompensation which negatively affect quality of life and are likely to increase mortality. The treatment goals expressed by HbA_1c, fasting and post-prandial glycemia, should be set individually based on age, initial HbA_1c, present comorbidities and the level of frailty of an elderly patient. An effort to reduce weight regarding people at an older age is probably inappropriate and maybe even harmful, while physical activity reduces mortality and slows muscle catabolism at every age. Ideal is normal walking for 20–30 minutes a day. Except for “very fit elders” without renal insufficiency, the sulfonylurea treatment is unsuitable and perhaps even harmful. It significantly increases the incidence of different types of hypoglycemia and very likely overall mortality as well. The basis of diabetes treatment for the elderly is the effort to perform any regular exercise. In regard to medication treatment it is recommended to choose metformin or gliptin following the rule “start low, go slow“, i.e. start with low medication doses and increase them at a slow pace. The main goal of the treatment is to maintain the good quality of life as long as possible, without symptoms associated with hyperglycemia with minimizing the risk of hypoglycemia development.

Key words:
diabetes mellitus – diet – frailty – physical activity – gliptin – HbA_1c – diabetes treatment – metformin – the elderly – sulphonylurea – older age

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