Subscribe Use our archive to search for previous articles. With increasing age, more insulin is required to maintain hepatic glucose production without causing hyperglycemia, and many elderly patients fail to secrete enough insulin, which leads to diabetes mellitus. When diabetes sets in, the function of the muscles, liver, and beta-cells of the pancreas deteriorate, causing glucose toxicity. Because of the multiorgan pathophysiology of diabetes, combination therapy is often most effective in decreasing hyperglycemia. While obesity is an example of insulin- resistance syndrome, its manifestations with age are unique.
Body composition changes with age.
However, they have increased abdominal obese reflective accumulation of fat in the visceral location. Increased visceral fat affects longevity in the elderly. 2 Dr. Barzilai pointed out that when the glucose level is decreased by treatment, the hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity improves. A study was conducted of the effects of metformin on glucose utilization and hepatic glucose output in subjects with type 2 diabetes. 3 Results showed that while metformin increases glucose utilization in most patients, it mainly decreases hepatic glucose output.