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The Importance Of Diabetes

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Abstract Background: The frequency of diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing problem worldwide. In old age (≥60-65 years old), DM is becoming an alarming public health problem in developed and even in in developing countries (Chentli, Azzoug, & Mahgoun, 2015). The management of type II diabetes often consists of exercise and healthy eating as well as oral hypoglycemic medications, both with the same objectives of managing the blood glucose levels, preventing complications and having a positive impact on life expectancy with these patients. Purpose: The purpose of this research project is to examine the relationship between type II diabetes and management interventions for the elderly population for a longer life span with favorable outcomes. …show more content…

According to the American Diabetes Association, as people get older, their risk for type II diabetes increases and in fact, one in four people over the age of 60 has diabetes. To be more specific, “in the United States, among older adults ≥65 years, 10.9 million people (26.9%) had diabetes in 2010” (Kim, Kim, Sung, Cho, & Park, 2012). Management of diabetes does not only include lifestyle modifications, such as continuously checking blood glucose, eating specific diets, and taking medications for better blood glucose control, it also includes the management of comorbidities that are usually discovered such as retinopathy, peripheral vascular disease, and nephropathy. Some age-related complications that affect the treatment of DM type II include but are not limited to comorbid conditions, polypharmacy, renal insufficiency, increased fall risk, visual impairment, and cognitive impairment (Fravel, 2011). The purpose of this research is to grasp a better understanding of diabetes management for the older adult population and to determine if lifestyle modifications versus pharmacological management are more sufficient for this population in their management of care. Lifestyle modifications and pharmacological management options will be assessed and studied for pros and cons for this disease as well as the easement of management and compliance for this particular population. The

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