Epidemiology of type II diabetes mellitus and ageing of the population: health policy implications and recommendations for epidemiological research.
As the result of an increase in the ageing of the population and an expected rise in age-specific incidence, the number of elderly patients with diabetes mellitus will increase in most developed countries. However, in elderly diabetic patients, the difference in prevalence of late complications such as microalbuminuria, neuropathy and atherosclerosis with that in the normal population tends to disappear. In contrast retinopathy is a frequently occurring complication among elderly diabetics which does not appear in the normal population. As a result there will be an increase in demand for health care by the elderly diabetic population in future and epidemiological research can help find a solution to this problem. Estimation of the prevalence of known and unknown diabetes mellitus over time, and of the late complications, in different age groups is recommended. In addition, further research needs to be done on the risk factors for the age-related increase of glucose impairment and diabetes mellitus and on the risk factors for late complications in the elderly patient.
Casparie
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Department of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006291:Health Policy; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015995:Prevalence; D012106:Research; D012307:Risk Factors