Patients in Nursing Homes: type 2 diabetes mellitus prevalence and its pharmacologic therapy

Objective: To determine type 2 diabetes mellitus prevalence, clinical features, specific pharmacologic treatment and problems faced in nursing home patients. Method: Observational, cross-sectional study conducted in March 2019 in six nursing homes, examining persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Demographic, clinical and biochemical variables, specific pharmacologic therapy and hypoglycemia events as well as falls during the previous year were collected. Results: Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 21.7%. 70.90% of the patients had glycated hemoglobin <= 7% last year, with 92% of the patients having a moderate-severe frailty. 0.4 hypoglycemia/resident-year were found, being more frequent in patients receiving insulinization and in those with impaired renal function. However, no further falls were found in insulinized patients (p > 0.05). Diabetes therapy was adequate according to treatment recommendations for the elderly. Conclusions: Prevalence of type 2 diabetes is slightly lower than that found in the literature, finding a strict control of the disease and an appropriate pharmacotherapeutic adequacy according to the recommendations by the European Diabetes Working Party for Older People. Insulinized patients and those with impaired renal function have a higher risk of hypoglycemia.