Diabetes Metab J.  2012 Oct;36(5):336-344. 10.4093/dmj.2012.36.5.336.

Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Older Adults

• Kim KS
• Kim SK
• Sung KM
• Cho YW
• Park SW

• KMID: 2174391
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2012.36.5.336

Abstract

In the near future, the majority of patients with diabetes will be adults aged 65 or older. Unlike young adults with diabetes, elderly diabetic people may be affected by a variety of comorbid conditions such as depression, cognitive impairment, muscle weakness (sarcopenia), falls and fractures, and physical frailty. These geriatric syndromes should be considered in the establishment of treatment goals in older adults with diabetes. Although there are several guidelines for the management of diabetes, only a few are specifically designed for the elderly with diabetes. In this review, we present specific conditions of elderly diabetes which should be taken into account in the management of diabetes in older adults. We also present advantages and disadvantages of various glucose-lowering agents that should be considered when choosing a proper regimen for older adults with diabetes.

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus, type 2; Elderly diabetes; Geriatric syndrome; Sarcopenia

MeSH Terms

Adult
Aged
Depression
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Humans
Muscle Weakness
Sarcopenia
Young Adult

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Prevalence of diabetes mellitus according to age group among Korean adults in 2010. Data from Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs: The Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V-1) [1].

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