Medication and specific populations

Highlights

02-13-2018 | Older adults | Editorial | Article

Does setting treatment targets risk the overtreatment of type 2 diabetes in older patients?

The drive to achieve lower HbA1c targets in older patients is not without concern or risk. Our UK Board address concerns highlighted by recent trials and discuss whether current guidelines do enough to mitigate the risks of overtreatment.

Editorial Board member Jay Shubrook follows up with treatment individualization specialist David Strain on the treatment challenges presented by older adults, and the implications for tailoring hypertension therapy in this diverse population (11:08).

Learning points include:

The rationale for emphasizing quality over quantity of life in certain subsets of the elderly patient population.
The importance of incorporating understanding of key comorbidities into treatment planning, including:
- Left ventricular and/or diastolic dysfunction
- Chronic kidney disease
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Heart failure
Single/multi-agent therapies capable of targeting hypertension and its comorbidities.
The importance of early renal function testing in older adults initiated on treatments for hypertension and its comorbidities.
Understanding renal impairment risks in vulnerable adults treated with angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in patients.
Understanding the relative risk of hyponatremia with generally well-tolerated treatments like as thiazide diuretics.
Best practice for avoiding adverse drug events in the acute setting.
The challenges associated with treating concomitant heart failure in older adults.

« Video 4: Individualization of diabetes treatment: Considerations for frail, elderly patients with heart failure

12-19-2017 | Pregnancy | Case report | Article

Successful glycemic control using a flash glucose monitoring system for a pregnant woman with diabetes: A case report

Kishimoto M, Tamada S, Oshiba Y. J Diabetes Metab Disord 2017; 16: 44. doi: 10.1186/s40200-017-0327-1

10-07-2017 | Neonatal diabetes | Case report | Article

Neonatal diabetes in a patient with IPEX syndrome: An attempt at balancing insulin therapy

Romano F et al. Acta Diabetol 2017; 54: 1139. doi: 10.1007/s00592-017-1057-z