Abstract
Falls in Older Adults with Type II Diabetes
Highlights
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses in the elderly; more than 25% of the U.S population aged 65 years has diabetes mellitus and aging of global population and obesity in developed countries are significant drivers of type II diabetes [1]
There are a number of mechanisms by which type II diabetes may contribute to falls: cognitive impairment, visual deficit, neuropathic pain or decreased sensorimotor function, feet problems, frailty, sarcopenia or hypoglycemia linked to antidiabetics or insulin among others [8,9]
In relation to main diagnosis after fall assessment; frailty syndrome was present in 84.2% of diabetic patients and in 58.1% of non-diabetic ones (OR: 3.852 (1.407-10.548) p=0.009), and cognitive impairment was a new diagnosis in 44.7% of diabetic patients and in 22.6% of nondiabetic ones (OR 2.776 (1.159-6.649) p=0.022) (Table 2)
Summary
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses in the elderly; more than 25% of the U.S population aged 65 years has diabetes mellitus and aging of global population and obesity in developed countries are significant drivers of type II diabetes [1]. Diabetes is associated with a variety of geriatric syndromes in older adults; depression, pain, cognitive impairment, falls, and urinary incontinence and these conditions frequently lead to functional impairment and disability [2]. There are a number of mechanisms by which type II diabetes may contribute to falls: cognitive impairment, visual deficit, neuropathic pain or decreased sensorimotor function, feet problems, frailty, sarcopenia or hypoglycemia linked to antidiabetics or insulin among others [8,9]. These risk factors are similar to those described for falls in general population [4,5]. Little is known about differences in risk factors for falls between patients with and without diabetes, so the objective of this study is to describe differences in risk factors between older adults with and without type II diabetes
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