Effect of Diabetes Mellitus Control on Diabetes Burden in Elderly Egyptians Patients

Abstract

Older adults with diabetes have a higher risk for hypoglycemia due to altered adaptive physiologic responses to low glucose levels. Patients also have comorbidities, such as cognitive and functional loss, that interfere with prompt identification and/ or appropriate treatment of hypoglycemia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of diabetic state control on diabetes burden in elderly. Methods: Our study was a case control pilot study conducted on 100 old patients (> 65 years) with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. All patients recruited from Mansoura Specialized Medical Hospital in the period from April 2019 to February 2020. Medical consents were taken from all patients. Patients were divided into 2 groups: those with HBA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin A1c) > 8.5% were the cases group whereas control subjects were those having HBA1c ˂ 8.5%. Calculation of Burden state is based on Elderly Diabetes Burden scale (EDBS); Which is 23-item consisting of 6 subscales including symptom burden, social burden, burden of dietary restrictions, burden of worry about diabetes, burden of treatment dissatisfaction, and burden of treatment. Total score of the scale ranges between 19 and 92. Results: our Study showed no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding serum creatinine, and albumin/creatinine ratio, polyuria, paresthesia, visual disturbance, oedema, chest pain and dyspnea, treatment dissatisfaction, while there was statistically significant difference between two groups regarding fasting Glucose, symptom burden, social burden, dietary restrictions, worry about diabetes, burden by tablets or insulin and total score EDBS being higher in cases than control subjects. Conclusion: EDBS may be a simple and rapid questionnaire to assess effect of diabetes control on quality of life in elderly patients.