Classically, the initial symptoms in young and middle age people with Type 2 diabetes are a high level of thirst and appetite and "frequent urination"; and those exact same symptoms may occur with elderly people who are near to getting diabetes.
However, the difference is that the above-mentioned typical symptoms "may be replaced or accompanied by episodes of confusion, incontinence, and dryness of the eyes and mouth," Kagan continues. Another bit of confusion for doctors seeking signs of diabetes is the fact that the elderly, when their blood sugar levels are high, they are "…less likely to spill sugar into their urine, and as a result, "many elderly-onset diabetics go undiagnosed" (203). There are estimates that as many as 2.4 million people (many elderly) have diabetes but are unaware they have it, Kagan explains.
From a technical point-of-view, the commonly used method of diagnosis, which is "repeated fasting glucose levels," can miss up to 31% of new cases of people past the age of 65, Kagan continues. Indeed, elder-onset Type 2 diabetes is challenging in terms of diagnosis because people over 65 often have "insulin resistance" which researchers don't yet understand.
The consequences of late diagnosis of diabetes can be death, according to the health correspondent (James Meikle) with the Guardian. "… Thousands of patients [in the UK] are being struck down by heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease because they were diagnosed with the underlying condition [of diabetes] too late" (Meikle, 2001). In fact, "two-thirds of people with diabetes might be dying prematurely" from the complications that arise from diabetes simply because they were not diagnosed, Meikle explains, reporting that his information came from England's main charity dealing with this disease, "Diabetes UK." On the other hand, one would think that early detection would prove to be helpful, but the U.S. National Institutes of Health explains that "…there is no definitive evidence...
That said, it is clear that doctors can't treat diabetes with known remedies for the elderly (good diet, regular exercise) unless they know the patient has diabetes. So from that standpoint, early detection can prove to be a positive thing, especially for the elderly.
Conclusion
Knowing whether an elderly person has diabetes or not has been very tricky for healthcare professionals, due to the fact that the symptoms in older people tend to imitate other maladies that come along with old age. Still, families that are caring for elderly parents should be alerted to the signs and symptoms that might mean that diabetes is knocking at the door. And because Medicare offers free screening for diabetes, there is no good excuse for not having one's elderly relatives and parents screened in a proper healthcare setting.
Works Cited
Clinical Trials. (2006). A Study to Investigate the Benefits of the Early Detection and Intensive
Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. U.S. National institutes of Health. Retrieved June 21, 2011,
From http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00318032.
Draheim, Marcia, and Burke, Sandra Drozdz. (2009). Diabetes and aging in the workplace: an understanding of diabetes and its relationship to aging can help EAPs better assist employees with the disease and encourage healthy behaviors among those who are susceptible to it. The Journal of Employee Assistance, 39(2), 7-10.
Kagan, Andrew, Heimlich, Henry J (FRW), and Asner, Edward. (2009). Type 2 Diabetes: Social
And Scientific Origins, Medical Complications and Implications for Patients and Others.
Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
Meikle, James. (2001). Late diabetes diagnosis 'killing thousands early'. Guardian. Retrieved June 21, 2011, from http://www.guardian.co.uk.
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