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Diabetic Residents of Homes for the Aged: Observations for an Eleven‐Year Period *
Author(s) -
CANTELON J. F. D.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1972.tb01195.x
Subject(s) - medicine , arteriosclerotic heart disease , diabetes mellitus , blood sugar , retinopathy , nephropathy , oral hypoglycemic agents , pediatrics , surgery , endocrinology , type 2 diabetes
Data are presented for the years 1960 through 1970 on 673 diabetic elderly residents of Homes for the Aged in Toronto. There were 218 males and 455 females. The fasting blood sugar level usually was elevated only in patients with longstanding diabetes. In the subjects tested, 75 per cent of the glucose tolerance curves were abnormal. Treatment consisted of diet alone (restricted‐sugar in many cases) for 175 patients, diet plus oral hypoglycemic agents for 320, and diet plus insulin for 178 patients. There were 392 deaths; arteriosclerotic heart disease was the chief cause. The average age at death was 81.2 years. Retinopathy was present in a moderate number of cases. Nephropathy and neuropathy were rare but occlusive arteriosclerotic lesions of the lower extremities were common.