Hypoglycemia: A Serious Complication for the Older Adult with Diabetes

Hypoglycemic events range from mild to severe and occur at an increased rate among older adults with diabetes. Some diabetes medications increase the risk of hypoglycemia, as can inadequate nutrition, cognitive impairment, and other factors. While hypoglycemia can often be easily treated, the physiologic, sensory, and cognitive changes of aging can inhibit bodily mechanisms that produce warning symptoms of low blood glucose and impair the ability to recognize such symptoms when they occur. Severe hypoglycemic events in older adults can have devastating consequences. Nurses are well positioned to assess for hypoglycemia and to educate the growing population of older adults with type 2 diabetes on its prevention.