woman pricks mans hand with diabetes needle
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Staying on top of blood sugar levels is important especially in people with diabetes, but sticking to adult ranges may not be best for older adults.
People with diabetes use A1c blood tests to measure the average blood sugar levels over a three-month period. A normal adult range is staying below 5.7%, and anywhere from 5.7% to 6.4% signals prediabetes.
Researchers say those ranges could be too low for older adults, especially those over the age of 65, according to an article recently published in Fortune, which pointed to an earlier article in The New York Times. Older adults have likely been getting confusing messaging about tight blood sugar control, which is essential when they’re younger but not as much as they go into older age, according to Sei Lee, MD a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco.
Overcontrolling blood sugar in older adults with diabetes may put them at risk for hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Older adults with diabetes are more prone to low blood sugar because they are more likely to have other health conditions. This can lead to stroke, cognitive decline and falls, and even be fatal.
The American Geriatrics Society recommends that older adults should stick to an A1c between 7.5% to 8%, and those with other conditions may be able to go up to 9%.
Some older adults may be confused about the change, as they’ve gotten used to sticking with the younger adult range. Though the updated guidelines for older adults came out more than 10 years ago, some people still may not know about the changes or they’re not seeing geriatric specialists to advise them on updated recommendations.
Last year, a study was released that showed people with prediabetes could lower their long-term risk of death and diabetes-related complications if they can delay the onset of diabetes for four years using diet and exercise.