Deintensification of hypoglycaemic medications-use of a systematic review approach to highlight safety concerns in older people with type 2 diabetes
Abstract
Importance Intensive treatment of older people with diabetes is common placing them at increased risk of adverse events such as hypoglycaemia and hospitalisation for drug errors. Little is known about when, how or for whom to deintensify hypoglycaemic medications. Objective To explore the characteristics of patients for whom deintensification is appropriate and to determine the outcome of deintensification. Evidence review Medline, Google scholar and EmBase search from 1997 to present was performed using keywords relating to diabetes mellitus, polypharmacy, hypoglycaemia, hospitalisation, deintensification, deprescribing and reduction, simplification or withdrawal of hypoglycaemic medications. Only English language articles were selected. Articles were reviewed for relevance by abstract. A manual review of citations in retrieved articles was performed in addition to the electronic literature search. Findings Those who are over treated appear to be of older age group, frail with weight loss and have multiple medical morbidities especially renal impairment and dementia. Simplification, reduction or even complete withdrawal of hypoglycaemic medications in these patients appears to be feasible without deterioration of glycaemic control. Conclusions Over treatment is common in frail older people with multiple comorbidities and deintensification appears safe in this group of patients. Current recommendations emphasise preventing underuse rather than overuse of medications, and ther…
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Simplification of the insulin plan to match an individual's self-management abilities and available social and medical support reduces hypoglycemia and disease-related distress without worsening glycemic outcomes.
“Simplification of the insulin plan to match an individual's self-management abilities and their available social and medical support in these situations has been shown to reduce hypoglycemia and diseaserelated distress without worsening glycemic outcomes (100-103).”
From 13. Older Adults: <i>Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024</i> (2024) · cites this paper as [100]
Simplification of the insulin plan to match an individual's self-management abilities and their available social and medical support reduces hypoglycemia and disease-related distress without worsening glycemic outcomes.
“Simplification of the insulin plan to match an individual's self-management abilities and their available social and medical support in these situations has been shown to reduce hypoglycemia and disease-related distress without worsening glycemic outcomes (107-110).”
From 13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025 (2025) · cites this paper as [107]
Simplification of the insulin plan to match an individual's self-management abilities and available social and medical support is associated with reduced hypoglycemia and disease-related distress without worsening glycemic outcomes.
“Studies suggest that simplification of the insulin plan to match an individual’s self-management abilities and their available social and medical support is associated with reduced hypoglycemia and disease-related distress without worsening glycemic outcomes”
From 13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026 (2026) · cites this paper as [149]
Cites
Follow-up of glycemic control and cardiovascular outcomes in type 2 diabetes
Hayward, R. A., Reaven, P. D., Wiitala, W. L., Bahn, G. D., Reda, D. J., Ge, L., McCarren, M., Duckworth, W. C., & Emanuele, N. V. (2015) · New England Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1056/nejmoa1414266 · Cited by 668 · see citing works
Potential overtreatment of diabetes mellitus in older adults with tight glycemic control
Lipska, K. J., Ross, J. S., Miao, Y., Shah, N. D., Lee, S. J., & Steinman, M. A. (2015) · JAMA Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.7345 · Cited by 408 · see citing works
Polypharmacy in the Aging Patient: A Review of Glycemic Control in Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes
Lipska, K. J., Krumholz, H., Soones, T., & Lee, S. J. (2016) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2016.0299 · Cited by 309 · see citing works
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Type 2 diabetes and cognitive dysfunction–towards effective management of both comorbidities
Srikanth, V., Sinclair, A. J., Hill-Briggs, F., Moran, C., & Biessels, G. J. (2020) · The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology · doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(20)30118-2 · Cited by 465 · see citing works
Self-citation13. Older Adults: <i>Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2022</i>
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee (2022) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc22-s013 · Cited by 381 · see citing works
13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, ElSayed, N. A., McCoy, R. G., Aleppo, G., Balapattabi, K., Beverly, E. A., Briggs Early, K., Bruemmer, D., Echouffo-Tcheugui, J. B., Ekhlaspour, L., et al. (2025) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc25-s013 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
13. Older Adults: <i>Standards of Care in Diabetes—2024</i>
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, ElSayed, N. A., Aleppo, G., Bannuru, R. R., Bruemmer, D., Collins, B. S., Ekhlaspour, L., Hilliard, M. E., Johnson, E. L., Khunti, K., et al. (2024) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc24-s013 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
13. Older Adults: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026
American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee for Diabetes*, Bajaj, M., McCoy, R. G., Balapattabi, K., Bannuru, R. R., Bellini, N. J., Bennett, A. K., Beverly, E. A., Briggs Early, K., ChallaSivaKanaka, S., et al. (2026) · Diabetes Care · doi:10.2337/dc26-s013 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Wood, S. J., Bell, J. S., Magliano, D. J., Fanning, L., Cesari, M., Keen, C. S., & Ilomäki, J. (2021) · The Journal of Frailty & Aging · doi:10.14283/jfa.2021.6 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
- Authors
- Abdelhafiz, A. H., & Sinclair, A. J.
- Affiliations
- Rotherham General Hospital (GB)
- Aston University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sinclair, A.J.
- Venue
- Journal of Diabetes and its Complications
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-04
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 444-450
- ISSN
- 0891-6632 (ISSN-L)
- 1056-8727
- OpenAlex
- W2768271705
- Cited by
- 72
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 3
- FWCI
- 0.88
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Diabetes and its Complications (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Treatment and Management
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Diabetes Management and Research
- Keywords
- treatment deintensification, type 2 diabetes, older adults, hypoglycemia, polypharmacy, deprescribing, overtreatment, frailty, renal dysfunction, dementia, glycemic control, hospitalization, medication errors
- MeSH terms
- Medical Overuse, Age Factors, Blood Glucose, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Glycated Hemoglobin, Humans, Hypoglycemia, Hypoglycemic Agents, Practice Guidelines as Topic
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