[Treating diabetes in the very old]

Abstract

A very old patient cannot be treated strictly in accordance with the general diabetes guidelines. Rather, interactions between the diabetes and such geriatric syndromes as, for example, dementia, depression, incontinence and immobility also need to be taken into account. In the first instance our concern is to improve the patient's well being and his/her quality of life. It is necessary to tailor not only pharmacotherapy, but also general therapeutic measures, to the specific situation of the individual patient. For this purpose, novel forms of treatment that take account of the specific geriatric aspect of the diabetic are required.