Causes And Effects Of Diabetes Mellitus Among The Elderly

1.1 Background Of The Study

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia and high glycated hemoglobin[1 3] with or without glycosuria. Glucose metabolism disorder (GMD) results from a defect in insulin secretion by the pancreas, insulin action on the target tissues (or insulin resistance), or both.[4] Chronic hyperglycemia leads to damage and failure of various organs, especially the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.[5] Those macro and micro angiopathies, whichcan be observed even in newly diagnosed patients[6] are due to GMD long term duration.

Approximately 1.9% of the global disability adjusted life years is attributed to diabetes having doubled since 1990 [1]. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that 450 million people are living with diabetes, with 5.1 million dying from it annually worldwide [2, 3]. The prevalence of diabetes is expected to double by 2030 from 8.3 to 17.6% globally [2, 4, 5], excluding the high numbers of undiagnosed cases estimated at 175 millions [2, 6]. In sub-Saharan Africa, 21.5 million people are living with diabetes leading to approximately half a million diabetes-related deaths in 2013 [2].

The prevalence of diabetes varies in different age groups with the older population being at a higher risk compared to the young population[7]. For instance, the prevalence of diabetes has been estimated to be between 7.7 to 20% and 5 to 8.8% for adults aged 45 years and more in Kenya and South Africa respectively [7, 8]. In addition, more diabetic people live in urban than in rural areas [8, 9].

Cross-country studies have revealed differences in social and behavioural factors of subjective well being and disability among diabetes patients as well as in the role gender plays in the well being of these patients [10, 11]. In this regard, country-specific studies have found association between diabetes and socioeconomic factors such as education, employment status, wealth and social class [12–14]. Diabetes has also been related with behavioural characteristics of the population such as physical inactivity, poor dietary intake, inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables, tobacco use and alcohol consumption [8].

Despite the demographic transition occurring in Africa, few studies have focused on understanding the magnitude of diabetes among older adults in specific countries [12, 15]. Country-specific studies on the social and behavioural determinants of diabetes have been recommended to guide the development of local diabetes prevention measures and policies [10, 11]. Specifically, in Nigeria, studies in the general population have estimated that between 3.3 and 6% of the population has diabetes with the prevalence increasing with age and being higher in urban than in rural areas [2, 15–17]. However, there has been little focus on the health status of the increasing old population, which, for instance has increased from 4.9% in 1960 to 12% in 2010 [18]. Thus, in order to provide more evidence about the magnitude of diabetes among the old population, this study will assess the causes and effects of diabetes mellitus among the elderly in Nigeria.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Diabetes mellitus (DM) frequency is a growing problem worldwide, because of long life expectancy and life style modifications. In old age (?60–65 years old), DM is becoming an alarming public health problem in developed and even in developing countries as for some authors one from two old persons are diabetic or prediabetic and for others 8 from 10 old persons have some dysglycemia. DM complications and co morbidities are more frequent in old diabetics compared to their young counterparts. The most frequent are cardiovascular diseases due to old age and to precocious atherosclerosis specific to DM and the most bothersome are visual and cognitive impairments, especially Alzheimer disease and other kind of dementia. Alzheimer disease seems to share the same risk factors as DM, which means insulin resistance due to lack of physical activity and eating disorders. Visual and physical handicaps, depression, and memory troubles are a barrier to care for DM treatment. For this, old diabetics are now classified into two main categories as fit and independent old people able to take any available medication, exactly as their young or middle age counterparts, and fragile or frail persons for whom physical activity, healthy diet, and medical treatment should be individualized according to the presence or lack of cognitive impairment and other co morbidities. In the last category, the fundamental rule is “go slowly and individualize” to avoid interaction with poly medicated elder persons and fatal iatrogenic hypoglycemias in those treated with sulfonylureas or insulin. On the basis of the aforementioned, this study seek to examine the causes and effects of diabetes mellitus among the elderly in Nigeria.