[Diabetes mellitus in the elderly: succinic acid compounds in treating diabetic neuropathies]

To investigate the influence of the succinic acid treatment on geriatric patients with type 2 diabetes. Succinic Acid has some positive biological properties. One of its is a neglecting of an aerobic glycolysis. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of the combination of the succinic acid ("MITOMIN") on treating of diabetic neuropathy of geriatric patients with type 2 diabetes. The analysis was carried out using 26 patients (aged 60-76 years). The duration of diabetes was 9.15 +/- 1.43 years. Biomedical parameters were measured by standard methods; microalbuminuria was measured by "Micral-Test". Quality of life (psychosocial disorders) was estimated with the help of "SANDOZ"-scale for geriatric assessment. The therapy was assigned 1.5 g of mitomin per day during a month. All patients were examined on having late diabetic complications: 7.69%--had diabetic retinopathy; 11.54%--diabetic nephropathy; 73.08%--diabetic neuropathy; 46.15%--chronic failure of brain vessels; 11.5%--macroangiopathy of lower extremities and 100%--had ischeamic heart disease of different levels. Mitomin therapy improved basal and postprandial glycemic control (NS), variance of pallesthesia (p < 0.001), parameters of quality of life, i.e. depression (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.01), short memory (p < 0.05) and emotionality (p < 0.001). Mitomin therapy plays a positive role in management of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes. It improves glycemic control, pallestesia and quality of life. Combination of succinic acid renders central and peripheral neuropathy protective efficacy.