Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus

            Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major health issue affecting the elderly. It involves various risks and complications. According to Munshi and Lipsitz (2007), some of the risks of DM are:

1. Age – The risks of Type II DM increase with age. A person’s physiological functions decline with age. One of the effects of this decline is the reduced ability to control the body’s glucose levels.
2. High blood pressure – The blood pressure increases with age. Hypertension commonly precedes DM. People with hypertension have more than 50 percent risk of developing DM.
3. Depression – Physiological decline and loss of status lead to depression among the elderly. It increases the risks of weight gain and physical inactivity, which can lead to DM. Furthermore, some anti-depression drugs increase hyperglycemia and risks of DM.
4. Physical inactivity – Functional ability declines with age. Diminished functional ability hinders exercising. Consequently, one’s weight, body fat percentage and BMI increase.
5. Obesity – overweight and obese people are more than 50 times likely to develop DM in comparison to the people with a healthy weight. 

According to Kirkman et al. (2012), some of the complications of DM are:

1. Retinopathy – Hypertension and severe hyperglycemia can cause impaired vision and blindness. Sorbitol accumulation in cells causes osmotic stress, which leads to various complications including retinopathy.
2. Nephropathy – DM damages kidneys. It causes microalbuminuria, which progresses to proteinuria and nephropathy. 
3. Neuropathy – DM damages the peripheral nerves. Severe and prolonged hyperglycemia is a key risk factor in the development of neuropathy.
4. Cardiovascular disease – DM causes CVD through increased atherosclerosis, which narrows the arterial walls. DM also increases the incidences of platelet adhesion and hypercoagulability.
5. Stroke – DM increases the risk of stroke, especially among the patients with atherosclerosis and hypertension.