[Treatment strategy for elderly diabetic patient with insulin or GLP-1 receptor agonist]

It has been established that diabetes is an independent risk factor for microvascular and macrovascular complications, and many studies indicate that diabetic subjects are at greater risk of dementia, depression and fracture. Risk reductions for microvascular, macrovascular and death were observed by intensive therapy using insulin or oral diabetic agents. But a history of hypoglycemia was increased myocardial infarction, mortality, dementia and fracture. So it is important that optimum glycemic control has to be achieved without hypoglycemia. Treatment with a long-acting basal insulin analogue or glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1) receptor agonist, provide effective glycemic control without serious hypoglycemia in elderly patients. Self-monitoring of blood glucose might be effective in improving glycemic control in elderly patients, and it is useful for the diagnosis of hypoglycemia.