An article from HealthDay® Magazine:

Very tight blood sugar control can pose problems without benefits, study says

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 12, 2015 (HealthDay News)

Many older people with diabetes may be exposed to potential harm because doctors are trying to keep overly tight control of their blood sugar levels, a new study argues.

Researchers found that nearly two-thirds of older diabetics who are in poor health have been placed on a diabetes management regimen that strictly controls their blood sugar, aiming at a targeted hemoglobin A1C level of less than 7 percent.

But these patients are achieving that goal through the use of medications that place them at greater risk of hypoglycemia, a reaction to overly low blood sugar that can cause abnormal heart rhythms, and dizziness or loss of consciousness, the researchers said.

Further, tight diabetes control did not appear to benefit the patients, the researchers report Jan. 12 in JAMA Internal Medicine. The percentage of seniors with diabetes in poor health did not change in more than a decade, even though many had undergone years of aggressive blood sugar treatment.

“There is increasing evidence that tight blood sugar control can cause harm in older people, and older people are more susceptible to hypoglycemia,” said lead author Dr. Kasia Lipska, an assistant professor of endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine. “More than half of these patients were being treated with medications that are unlikely to benefit them and can cause problems.”

Diabetes is common among people 65 and older. But doctors have struggled to come up with the best way to manage diabetes in seniors alongside the other health problems they typically have, researchers said in background information with the study.

For younger and healthier adults, the American Diabetes Association has recommended therapy that aims at a hemoglobin A1C level of lower than 7 percent, while the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends a target of lower than 6.5 percent, the authors noted. The A1C test provides a picture of your average blood sugar levels for the past two to three months.

By tightly controlling blood sugar levels, doctors hope to stave off the complications of diabetes, including organ damage, blindness, and amputations due to nerve damage in the limbs.

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From HealthDay® News for Healthier Living

SENIOR CITIZEN INFORMATION

Senior citizens have a variety of concerns when it comes to health and well-being. As people grow older, many health problems become more likely to occur, including problems that affect the body and mind. And though some of these problems are unavoidable, becoming a senior citizen does not doom someone to a life of health problems. A number of steps can be taken to help preserve good health well into the golden years.

Common Senior Citizen Health Problems
As adults grow older, their risk for a number of chronic health problems begins to rise. Heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all conditions that become increasingly likely as people age. Other problems related to aging include the weakening of the bones known as osteoporosis, as well as hearing and vision problems. Injuries caused by falls also increase, sometimes as a result of osteoporosis but also because of balance problems that are more common in older people.

Mental health problems also become more prevalent as people grow older. Perhaps the most well-known is Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that causes declining mental function and other debilitating behaviors in older adults. In addition, a common but under-treated mental health condition in senior citizens is depression. Often, older adults develop depression in concurrence with another debilitating health condition like heart disease or cancer.

Preventing Health Problems in Senior Citizens
People can take a number of steps to preserve good health as they age, including actions taken earlier in life but also those that become everyday practice when older. Research suggests that maintaining a healthy weight is critically important to reduce the risk for such chronic health problems as heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis, among others. This can be accomplished through eating a healthy diet and regular exercise. Other steps that can help with good health as people age include maintaining good sleep patterns, abstaining from smoking and staying socially active with friends and family and involved in the community.

SOURCES: U.S. National Library of Medicine; U.S. National Institute of Mental Health; U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

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