Frailty and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Older Patients
1Università di Messina, Italy
2Department of Medicina Interna e Specialistica Laboratorio di Nutrizione Clinica University of Palermo , Italy
3Division of Geriatrics Department of Translational Medical Sciences Federico II University of Naples, Italy
Frailty and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Older Patients
Description
Factors such as the general aging of the global population, higher rates of obesity, inadequate diets, and sedentary lifestyles are contributing to a rise in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) worldwide. T2DM represents a major cause of morbidity and disability, and its management is particularly challenging in older adults, due to concomitant comorbidities, reduced life expectancy, and higher risk of adverse effects from treatment. Furthermore, older adults with T2DM more often experience hypo/hyper-glycaemia and complications such as falls, fractures, institutionalization, cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality.
Frailty is a geriatric multifactorial condition with high prevalence among older adults. It can cause greater vulnerability to stressors and lead to serious health complications. Frailty can have a prognostic role in patients with T2DM, and its assessment has been recommended in the therapeutic process and care individualization of older adults. Treatment and management of frail older adults with T2DM is a topical issue, but there is still a lack of formal guidance for physicians on the most appropriate pharmacological strategies and therapeutic targets.
The aim of this Special Issue is to collect the recent updates in frailty management and assessment in patients with T2DM. We welcome original research and review articles.
Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:
- Epidemiology and pathogenesis of frailty in T2DM
- Novel clinical and instrumental diagnostic tools for frailty in T2DM
- Biomarkers predictive of frailty in T2DM
- The role of antidiabetic drugs on frailty incidence and prognosis
- The effect of interventions addressing frailty on the outcome of patients with T2DMKeywords: frailty, older adults, type 2 Diabetes Mellitus