Systematic review of guideline recommendations for older and frail adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background The application of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) across the spectrum of individuals living with diabetes can be challenging, particularly in older adults, where factors such as frailty and multimorbidity exacerbate the complexity of management. Objective This systematic review aimed to explore the guidance provided within diabetes CPGs for management of individuals who are older and/or frail, including recommendations for haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) target and pharmacotherapeutic management. Methods A systematic search was completed in Medline and Embase to identify national or international type 2 diabetes CPGs published in the last 10 years. Data extracted included recommendations for HbA1c targets and pharmacotherapy in older and frail adults, frailty screening and deprescribing. Quality of included CPGs was appraised with the AGREE II tool. Results Twenty-three CPGs were included, within which older adults and frailty were discussed in 21 and 14 CPGs, respectively. Specific HbA1c targets for older and/or frail adults were provided by 15 CPGs, the majority of which suggested a strict target (<7.0%–7.5%) in healthier older adults and a more relaxed target (<8.0%–8.5%) in those who are frail or medically complex. Ten CPGs provided recommendations for insulin therapy and 16 provided recommendations for non-insulin antihyperglycaemic agents that were specific to older and/or frail populations, which primarily focused on minimising risk of hypoglycaemia. Conclusion Most diabetes CPGs recommend strict HbA1c targets in healthier older adults, with more relaxed targets in those living with frailty or medical complexity. However, significant variability exists in pharmacotherapy recommendations and there were proportionately less recommendations for individuals who are frail.