One out of every 10 adults in the United States has diabetes, and the percentage of Americans aged 65 years or older who have diabetes continues to increase. The treatment of diabetes consumes an enormous amount of health care and personal resources. This would palatable if such expenditures did nothing but improve outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality.
But they don’t.
Compared with young healthy patients with diabetes, older patients with diabetes and complex medical conditions may derive little benefit from intensive management but may incur harm. Hypoglycemia is associated with significant medical costs and adverse health consequences among older patients. Hypoglycemic agents (oral and injectable) are implicated in one-fourth of emergency hospitalizations for adverse drugs events in this population.
Dr. Kasia J. Lipska of Yale University, New Haven, Conn., and her colleagues evaluated the potential overtreatment of diabetes in older patients (at least 65 years) by examining participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 through 2010 who had an HbA1c measurement. Participants were grouped into different health status categories using available data: very complex/poor, complex/intermediate, and relatively healthy (JAMA Intern. Med. 2015 [doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.7345]).
The investigators found that almost two-thirds of this population had an HbA1c less than 7% (i.e., tight control), which did not differ across health status categories. Of the adults with an HbA1c less than 7%, more than one-half were treated with insulin or sulfonylureas, and this was similar across health status categories. During the 10 study years, no changes were observed in the proportion with an HbA1c less than 7% or the proportion of patients with an HbA1c less than 7% who were treated with insulin or a sulfonylurea.
These data tell us we are not racheting our care back when patients reach an age when aggressive care does more harm than good. We may feel hamstrung by quality metrics, a limited ability to manage large populations using health management approach, algorithmic approaches to facilitate appropriate de-escalations in medication management, and lack of time to engage in these discussions with our patients. What we tend to do is decrease these medications after patients have an office or emergency department visit for a hypoglycemic event or complication.
Moving forward, we need to embrace more liberal HbA1c goals for our patients at least 65 years of age. Most important, yet most challenging, we need to have ongoing goals of care discussions with our patients, and comorbidities need to be considered when setting such goals. Decision aids would be helpful tools in this space.
Dr. Ebbert is professor of medicine, a general internist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Mayo Clinic. The opinions expressed in this article should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition, nor should they be used as a substitute for medical advice from a qualified, board-certified practicing clinician.