AgePage

National Institute on Aging

2

Diabetes In Older

People — A Disease

You Can Manage

Diabetes is a serious disease. People 

get diabetes when their blood glucose 

level, sometimes called blood sugar, is 

too high. Diabetes can lead to dangerous 

health problems, such as having a heart 

attack or stroke. The good news is there 

are things you can do to take 

control of diabetes and 

prevent these problems. 

And, if you are worried 

about getting diabetes, 

there are things you 

can do to lower your risk.

What Is Diabetes?

Our bodies change the food we eat 

into glucose. Insulin helps glucose get 

into our cells where it can be used to 

make energy. If you have diabetes, your 

body may not make enough insulin, 

may not use insulin in the right way, or 

both. That may cause too much glucose 

in the blood. Your family doctor may 

refer you to a doctor who specializes 

in taking care of people with diabetes, 

called an endocrinologist.

Types Of Diabetes

There are two kinds of diabetes that 

can happen at any age. In type 1 diabetes, 

the body makes little or no insulin. This 

type of diabetes develops most often in 

children and young adults.

In type 2 diabetes, the body makes 

insulin, but doesn’t use it the right way. 

It is the most common kind of diabetes. 

You may have heard it called adult-onset 

diabetes. Your chance of getting type 2 

diabetes is higher if you are overweight, 

inactive, or have a family history of 

diabetes. 

Diabetes can affect many parts of 

your body. It’s important to keep type 2 

diabetes under control. Over time it can 

cause problems like heart disease, stroke, 

kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, 

and circulation problems that may lead to 

amputation. People with type 2 diabetes 

have a greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease. 

Pre-diabetes

Many people have “pre-diabetes.” This 

means their glucose levels are higher than 

normal but not high enough to be called 
3 4

diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a serious problem 

because people with pre-diabetes are at 

high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. 

If your doctor says you have pre-diabetes, 

you may feel upset and worried. But, 

there are things you can do to prevent 

or delay actually getting type 2 diabetes. 

Losing weight may help. Healthy eating 

and being physically active for at least 

30 minutes, 5 days a week is a small 

change that can make a big difference. 

Work with your doctor to set up a plan 

for good nutrition and exercise. Make 

sure to ask how often you should have 

your glucose levels checked. 

Symptoms 

Some people with type 2 diabetes may 

not know they have it. But, they may feel 

tired, hungry, or thirsty. They may lose 

weight without trying, urinate often, or 

have trouble with blurred vision. They may 

also get skin infections or heal slowly from 

cuts and bruises. See your doctor right away 

if you have one or more of these symptoms. 

Tests For Diabetes

There are several blood tests doctors 

can use to help diagnose diabetes:

F Random glucose test—given at any 

time during the day

F Fasting glucose test—taken after you 

have gone without food for at least 

8 hours

F Oral glucose tolerance test—taken 

after fasting overnight and then 

again 2 hours after having a sugary 

drink 

F A1C blood test—shows your glucose 

level for the past 2–3 months

Your doctor may want you to be 

tested for diabetes twice before making 

a diagnosis. 

Managing Diabetes

Once you’ve been told you have type 

2 diabetes, the doctor may prescribe 

diabetes medicines to help control blood 

glucose levels. There are many kinds of 

medication available. Your doctor will 

choose the best treatment based on the 

type of diabetes you have, your everyday 

routine, and other health problems. 

In addition, you can keep control of 

your diabetes by:

F Tracking your glucose levels. Very 

high glucose levels or very low glucose 

levels (called hypoglycemia) can be risky 

to your health. Talk to your doctor about 

how to check your glucose levels at home. 

F Making healthy food choices. 

Learn how different foods affect glucose 

levels. For weight loss, check out foods 

that are low in fat and sugar. Let your 
5 6

doctor know if you want help with meal 

planning.

F Getting exercise. Daily exercise can 

help improve glucose levels in older 

people with diabetes. Ask your doctor to 

help you plan an exercise program. 

F Keeping track of how you are 

doing. Talk to your doctor about how 

well your diabetes care plan is working. 

Make sure you know how often to check 

your glucose levels. 

Your doctor may want you to see 

other healthcare providers who can help 

manage some of the extra problems 

caused by diabetes. He or she can also 

give you a schedule for other tests that 

may be needed. Talk to your doctor 

about how to stay healthy. 

Here are some things to keep in mind: 

F Have yearly eye exams. Finding 

and treating eye problems early may 

keep your eyes healthy. 

F Check your kidneys yearly. 

Diabetes can affect your kidneys. A 

urine and blood test will show if your 

kidneys are okay. 

F Get flu shots every year and the 

pneumonia vaccine. A yearly flu shot will 

help keep you healthy. If you’re over 65, 

make sure you have had the pneumonia 

vaccine. If you were younger than 65 when 

you had the pneumonia vaccine, you may 

need another shot. Ask your doctor. 

F Check your cholesterol. At least 

once a year, get a blood test to check 

your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. 

High levels may increase your risk for 

heart problems.

F Care for your teeth and gums. Your 

teeth and gums need to be checked twice a 

year by a dentist to avoid serious problems.

F Find out your average blood 

glucose level. At least twice a year, get 

a blood test called the A1C test. The 

result will show your average glucose 

level for the past 2 to 3 months. 

F Protect your skin. Keep your skin 

clean and use skin softeners for dryness. 

Take care of minor cuts and bruises to 

prevent infections. 

F Look at your feet. Take time to 

look at your feet every day for any red 

patches. Ask someone else to check 

your feet if you can’t. If you have sores, 

blisters, breaks in the skin, infections, or 

build-up of calluses, see a foot doctor, 

called a podiatrist.

F Watch your blood pressure. Get 

your blood pressure checked often. 

Be Prepared

It’s a good idea to make sure you 

always have at least 3 days worth 

of supplies on hand for testing and 

treating your diabetes in case of an 

emergency.
7 8

Medicare Can Help 

Medicare will pay to help you learn 

how to care for your diabetes. It will also 

help pay for diabetes tests, supplies, 

special shoes, foot exams, eye tests, and 

meal planning. Be sure to check your 

Medicare plan to find more information.

For more information about what 

Medicare covers, call 1-800-MEDICARE 

(1-800-633-4227) or visit their website, 

www.medicare.gov/Health/Diabetes.asp. 

For More Information

Here are some helpful resources:

American Diabetes Association 

1701 North Beauregard Street

Alexandria, VA 22311 

1-800-342-2383 

www.diabetes.org

National Diabetes Education Program

One Diabetes Way

Bethesda, MD 20814-9692

1-888-693-6337

www.ndep.nih.gov

National Diabetes Information 

Clearinghouse (NDIC) 

National Institute of Diabetes and 

Digestive and Kidney Diseases

1 Information Way

Bethesda, MD 20892-3560

1-800-860-8747 (toll-free)

1-866-569-1162 (TTY/toll-free)

www.diabetes.niddk.nih.gov

For more information on health and 

aging, contact:

National Institute on Aging

Information Center

P.O. Box 8057

Gaithersburg, MD 20898-8057

1-800-222-2225

1-800-222-4225 (TTY)

www.nia.nih.gov

www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol

To sign up for regular email alerts about 

new publications and other information 

from the NIA, go to 

www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation.

Visit NIHSeniorHealth 

(www.nihseniorhealth.gov), a seniorfriendly website from the National 

Institute on Aging and the National 

Library of Medicine. This website has 

health information for older adults. 

Special features make it simple to use. 

For example, you can click on a button 

to have the text read out loud or to 

make the type larger. 

National Institutes of Health 

U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services

June 2010