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Diabetes Treatment in the Elderly

Aggressively treating diabetes in elderly patients can significantly improve their life expectancy. As reported by the American Medical Network, life expectancy for the older diabetic is approximately two-thirds that of a normal healthy elderly individual. There are serious complications that accompany diabetes. These complications can play a role in reducing the lifespan of elderly diabetics.

  1. Assesment

    • Elderly diabetics should have regular visits to their doctor to access their diabetic condition. Regular checkups can help offset some of the devastating effects of the disease and help the doctor formulate a successful treatment plan. This plan will include preventive measures as well as aggressively treating the disease.

    Diet

    • Elderly patients can sometimes improve their diabetic condition with diet and weight loss. A diabetic diet will vary with each individual case but normally consists of a diet high in carbohydrates, low in fat and moderate in protein. In chronically ill patients, vitamin and mineral supplements are sometimes recommended if the caloric intake falls below 1,000 kilocalories per day.

    Exercise

    • A regular program of moderate exercise can help increase glucose tolerance levels in elderly diabetic patients. Starting an exercise program can be complicated if other diseases exist in addition to the diabetes. Exercise for some elderly patients may pose risks and should only be started under a doctor's supervision.

    Medication Management

    • Medication management is extremely importantly in elderly diabetic treatment. Medications should be closely monitored by the patient and physician. Dangerous drug interactions can occur, especially if the patient is being treated for multiple medical conditions.

    Risk Factors

    • There are multiple risk factors for elderly diabetic patients. Changes in the mental status of patients may hinder them from taking their medications on time and in the proper dosage amounts. The increased risk of other factors such as renal failure, hypoglycemia, hypertension, heart disease, sleep disorders and depression make it essential to receive medical supervision from a qualified physician.

    Combination Therapy

    • Recently, physicians have tried using drug combinations to combat the inconveniences of insulin therapy. Some of the conditions elderly diabetics face when on insulin treatment are weight gain and hypoglycemia. The most common of these treatments is the combination of insulin and sulfonylurea. With this treatment, insulin is given at night and sulfonylurea is taken before mealtimes. Sulfonylurea helps the body produce its own insulin.

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