Journal of Korean Diabetes  2019;20(4):225-232

doi:10.4093/jkd.2019.20.4.225

Pharmacological Therapy of Diabetes in the Elderly

Junghyun NOH 1

Affiliations

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Keywords

Aged; Antidiabetic medication; Diabetes mellitus

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is expected to increase in the geriatric group with increasing incidence of diabetes with aging and improved life expectancy. Therefore, effective and safe treatment of older T2DM patients is becoming more important in clinical practice. The elderly show heterogeneous individual functional status, and some may have physical handicaps, visual defects, cognitive dysfunction, or psychological disorders such as depression. Therefore, individual approaches depending on presence and progression of geriatric syndromes, comorbidities, and risk of hypoglycemia are important in pharmacological treatment of T2DM in older patients.