Relationship of the patient age and intensity of type 2 diabetes treatment

Introduction. Analysis of results of research on aging indicates that negative stereotypes about diminished needs and abilities to achieve satisfaction in elderly have negative impact on well-being of persons in late adulthood. These negative stereotypes are shared by older people and the other members of society, including physicians. However, only few research on the impact of negative stereotypes on the way of older patients treatment have been done. Objectives. To verify a hypothesis that elderly patients with type 2 diabetes are treated less intensively than younger patients. Patients and methods. The method of treatment was analyzed in two groups of patients. The first group contained 1199 patients aged 17–93 years, treated for a period of less than one year to 36 years, that were beginning insulin therapy. The second group contained 1693 patients aged 22–97 years, treated for the less than one year till 70 years, that were beginning treatment with insulin analogues. Results. The moderate negative correlation between an age and treatment intensiveness measured as a number of injections per day was found (r = –0.253; p <0.01), as well as the lower average age in groups of patient receiving more injections of insulin a day (post-hoc Least Significant Difference test: F(891.3) = 25.21; p <0.0001). The mean age of patients intensively treated with analogues of insulin was lower than those treated less intensively (57.9 vs. 63.4, respectively; t-Student test: t = 8.36, p <0.0001). Conclusions. The older patients with type 2 diabetes received less intensive treatment than the younger. The stereotype of overestimation of the decrease of cognitive abilities in aging and eventually of difficulties in adherence to more complex by older people may be a reason of their undertreatment.