Clinical Features of Geriatric Syndromes in Older Koreans with Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: This study explored the prevalence and clinical characteristics of geriatric syndromes among Korean older adults with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: We used data from the 2017 National Survey of Older Koreans to analyze the classic geriatric syndromes of polypharmacy, urinary incontinence, falls, cognitive impairment, and functional impairment according to the presence of DM. Results: Among 10,299 participants aged 65 years or older, 2,395 had DM. The prevalence of polypharmacy was 64.1% in the DM group and 31.6% in the non-DM group (p<0.001). One or more falls per year occurred in 18.7% of participants with DM compared with 14.9% of those without DM (p<0.001). The prevalence of urinary incontinence was significantly higher in the DM group (3.8%) than in the non-DM group (2.5%) (p=0.001). The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 17.7% in the DM group versus 14.9% in the non-DM group (p=0.001). Functional impairment occurred in 32.2% of participants in the DM group compared with 26.8% of participants in the non-DM group (p<0.001). Finally, the number of geriatric syndromes was significantly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with DM. Conclusion: The results of this study showed a higher prevalence of geriatric syndromes among older Korean adults with DM. In addition, the coexistence of multiple geriatric syndromes was associated with CVD and CKD among patients with DM. These findings support the current guidelines for older adults with DM that recommend assessment for geriatric syndromes.

Prevalence of geriatric syndromes and associated factors in Iranian older adults with type 2 diabetes: A population-based correlational study

“…Limited studies have been conducted on the prevalence of GSs through a comprehensive evaluation of older adults with diabetes, and the results obtained are different. In these studies, the prevalence of certain GSs and related factors have been investigated using geriatric assessment tools (13)(14)(15). For example, in a study conducted by Moon et al (13) in South Korea, the prevalence of polypharmacy was 64.1% in older adults with diabetes and 31.6% in non-diabetic older people.…”

Determinants of Magnesium Intake, Zinc Intake and Body Mass Index (BMI) with Fasting Blood Glucose Levels in the Elderly in Klaten Regency

“…Elderly people who have long-term uncontrolled blood sugar are at risk for limb weakening, disability, illness, and mortality (Yoon and Kim, 2019). In Korea, researchers discovered that the prevalence of geriatric syndromes such as polypharmacy, falls, urinary incontinence, cognitive and functional impairment was significantly higher in the elderly with diabetes than in the elderly without diabetes (Moon et al, 2019).…”

Predictability of Metabolic Syndrome Diagnosed by Body Mass Index for Cardiovascular Risk in Older Patients Treated with Levothyroxine

“…Body mass index (BMI) is widely used to assess the presence of geriatric syndromes such as sarcopenia and malnutrition. 2 , 3 ) Therefore, we used BMI for MS diagnosis in this study as it is more practical in geriatric medicine and is included in the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Association of Clinical (AACE) criteria. 4 - 6 )…”