[Comprehensive geriatric assessment in older patients with diabetes mellitus]

Because the prevalence of older old patients with diabetes is increasing in Japan, diabetic patients with physical or cognitive impairment are also becoming to be more prevalent in clinical practice. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) consists of 5 important domains: physical function (basic ADL, instrumental ADL, vision, etc.), psychological function, mental function, socio-economic conditions, and patient's preference. The functions in CGA can be used as predictors for prognosis, a tool for early diagnosis of dementia, assessment tool of patient's capacity for insulin self-injection, and outcomes of diabetes treatment. The CGA is also useful in performing a patient-centered approach to improve the physical, psychological, and mental functions as well as to individualize a treatment goal of HbA1c in elderly patients with diabetes mellitus.