Treating Geriatric Polypharmacy by Deintensifying Unnecessary Diabetes Treatment

Polypharmacy is a rapidly worsening problem that hits elderly patients particularly hard.  As patients grow older, they need more medications but at the same time become less capable of managing the complexity of drug treatments.  In order to simplify treatment regimens for older patients, it is necessary to consider the evidence supporting treatment of various conditions and when the evidence is not particularly strong, reduce or eliminate medications accordingly.  Diabetes management in the elderly is highlighted in this podcast with specific attention given to deintensifying diabetes treatment in the elderly. Articles discussed in this episode: Polypharmacy in the Aging Patient: Glycemic Control in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Review (Kasia J. Lipska, MD, MHS) Evaluation and Treatment of Older Patients With Hypercholesterolemia: A Clinical Review (Timo E. Strandberg, MD, PhD) Trends in Prescription Drug Use Among Adults in the United States From 1999-2012 (Elizabeth D. Kantor, PhD, MPH)