Diabetes mellitus in complex older patients

Care of the elderly diabetic patients requires a special approach. What must be considered is not only individualiza-tion, and in more fragile elderly patients easing the targets for long-term compensation of diabetes, but also appropriate antidiabetic therapy needs to be chosen. Most patients suffer from polymorbidity and are at a greater risk for occurrence and consequences of hypoglycemia and cognitive impairment. The treatment procedure for sturdy elderly patients with diabetes is not any different from younger patients, while appropriate drugs for fragile patients are gliptins, possibly in combination with a long-term insulin analogue. Key words: antidiabetic therapy - complications - diabetes mellitus - level of robustness - old age.