How Diabetes Changes With Advancing Age?

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that can affect individuals of any age. That said, when it comes down to successful management of the condition, things get much more complicated as you get older. Therefore, the relevant question that needs to be answered is, “does diabetes increase with age?” 

Let us try to find the right answers to this frequently asked question by analysing factors that are applicable to diabetics who are aged 50 and above.

Differing Symptoms

As you get older, your diabetes symptoms may change altogether. That said, age can further mask certain symptoms. For instance, you would often feel thirsty if your blood sugar levels were extremely high. As you age, you may lose your sense of thirst when your blood glucose levels are abnormally high. Alternatively, you may not feel any difference. Hence, it is vital to pay attention to your symptoms.

Greater Risk of Heart Disease

Sources (such as Johns Hopkins Medicine) say that elderly adults with type 2 diabetes are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes in comparison with younger individuals with diabetes. 

Diabetes and Menopause

Although for some individuals the onset may be earlier, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development says that menopause begins at the age of 51 years in the average woman. If you are going through menopause and the onset of diabetes simultaneously, you would want to be aware of the fact that your oestrogen levels are on the decline. This can further up your risks of developing heart complications. 

Increased Risk of Hypoglycaemia

Hypoglycaemia (or low blood glucose levels) is a severe side effect with certain diabetes medications. According to a 2012 study, the risk of developing hypoglycaemia increases with age. This is because while you get older, your kidneys do not function optimally in eliminating diabetes medications from your body. These medications can work for a longer duration than intended, leading to a drop in blood sugar levels, thus causing hypoglycaemia.

Losing Weight Becomes Difficult

For those with type 2 diabetes, a study conducted in 2018 shows that the process of weight loss becomes much more difficult. The cells in your body become highly resistant to insulin as you age, which can cause weight gain around the abdominal region. Moreover, metabolism can drastically slow down, too. That said, it is possible to lose weight; it is just that the process becomes more arduous. 

Foot Care Becomes Extremely Important

Over the course of time, diabetes-induced nerve damage, as well as circulation problems, can lead to foot complications such as diabetic foot ulcers, as witnessed in a 2015 study. 

Diabetes also affects the ability of your body to ward off infections. Once an ulcer develops, it can get seriously infected. When not treated promptly, it could lead to extreme complications requiring amputation of the foot or leg. 

Increased Incidence of Nerve Pain

The longer the duration of your diabetes, the higher are your risks of developing nerve damage as well as nerve pain, which is also known as diabetic neuropathy. 

Nerve damage can occur in your feet and hands, where it is known as peripheral neuropathy. Alternatively, it can occur in the nerves that are responsible for the control of organs in your body, where it is known as autonomic neuropathy.

Thus, when it comes to the question, “does diabetes worsen with age?” the answer is a definite yes. 

On a Final Note:

Managing the symptoms of diabetes becomes quite an arduous task if you are over 50 years of age because type 2 diabetes gets worse with age. Some of the common diabetes risks seen in older individuals who have developed type 2 diabetes include greater risk of cardiovascular disease, increased occurrence of hypoglycaemia, a tougher task when it comes to losing weight, foot complications, nerve pain (or diabetic neuropathy), and a decrease in oestrogen levels among those women who are undergoing menopause, to name a few. 

References:

• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/diabetes/diabetes-what-you-need-to-know-as-you-age
• https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/menopause/conditioninfo
• https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/women.htm
• https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/medication-treatments/blood-glucose-testing-and-control/hypoglycemia
• https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/managing-blood-sugar/a1c.html