BackgroundType two diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that is becoming more common in the United States. Since 1980, the number of cases of diabetes in the U.S. has more than tripled, from 5.6 million to 20.9 million.1 The incidence of diabetes in the senior population is approximately 26.9% which translates to roughly 10.9 million people aged 65 or older with either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.2 By 2050 the number of elderly patients with diabetes is expected to reach epidemic proportions.3 Projections from 2000 estimate that the number of diagnosed diabetes cases will rise by 252% in women aged 65 to 74 and by 537% in men aged 75 and older.2,3 Current data also shows that up to 50% of the US population aged 65 and older has pre-diabetes (a hemoglobin A 1c of 5.7 -6.4%).