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More than half of the estimated 16 million American diabetics
are over age 60 and almost 20 percent of those age 65 or older
have the disease. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death
for people age 65 or older. These statistics illustrate that diabetes
is a growing problem for older adults. Managing diabetes may also
be a problem because the way diabetes is managed changes with
age due to several factors. These factors include insulin production
decreases; less tolerance of glucose; coexisting conditions, such
as hypertension, that increase the challenge of treating the disease;
complications that can develop more quickly and severely than
in younger people; and limited physical, mental, or financial
means that may interfere with proper treatment.
Treatment and prevention for older Americans and the young alike
begins with healthy behaviors such as eating a balanced diet,
not smoking, and exercising. For more information on the disease
and treatment, visit the websites listed below.
General Resource Links:
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References from this web page or from any of the information services
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by the Administration on Aging or any of its employees. AoA is
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pages referenced from this server. Although our page includes
links to sites including or referencing good collections of information,
AoA does not endorse ANY specific products or services provided
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takes full responsibility for any use of these links.
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