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Recent clinical trials in diabetes – implications for managing older patients

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 August 2009

GC Hawthorne  and
AJ Yarnall
GC Hawthorne*
Affiliation:
Diabetes Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
AJ Yarnall
Affiliation:
Department of Care of the Elderly, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Gillian Hawthorne, Newcastle Diabetes Centre, Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6BE. Email: gillian.hawthorne@newcastle-pct.nhs.uk
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Summary

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is set to increase, and with it the complications associated with diabetes. Since 2007 there have been a number of significant trials that may change the way we think about treating people with diabetes, especially our older patients. These trials include the Steno-2 trial, UKPDS legacy trial, ADVANCE, ACCORD and VADT. These trials are reviewed in detail in this article, including the implications for the patients we treat. Recent work assessing the effect of HbA1c on cognitive function and the effects of hypoglycaemia are also discussed. We conclude with suggestions for targets for glycated haemoglobin level based on NICE guidance.

Keywords

Diabetes mellituselderlyglycaemic targetsmicrovascular diseasemacrovascular diseasehypoglycaemiacognitive function
Type
Clinical geriatrics
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 19 , Issue 1 , February 2009 , pp. 25 - 33
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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