REVIEW OF THE COURSE AND TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS IN THE ELDERLY

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is becoming one of the most common problems among older people [5,8]. The prevalence of DM worldwide among people aged 65 years and older was 123 million in 2017 [2,6,12], and the number of such patients is expected to double in 2045. Over the past three decades, age-standardized prevalence of the disease has increased significantly in various countries, regardless of income level. According to experts, up to 40% of this increase is due to population growth and aging [1,3,9,15]. Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common health problems in older people, who form a heterogeneous and complex group, because it includes newly diagnosed elderly patients with DM and patients with a long course of the disease, onset in middle or young age [4,7,11]. This creates challenges for clinicians in the management of diabetes due to difficulties in defining individual glucose control goals, treatment options, comorbidities, multiple medications, and the risk of hypoglycemia. The objective of this review article is to consider the optimal glucose levels and treatment options for older adults with type II diabetes based on current global guidelines.