Ten key points to control sudden increases in blood sugar in adults aged 65 or 70.
In the elderly, blood glucose monitoring and care should be frequent, since from the age of 65 the risk of developing diabetes increases, as age is one of the factors that predispose it.
In other words, as the years go by, it becomes more likely, and also a growing concern, that glucose metabolism will become altered and type 2 diabetes will manifest .
This represents a significant challenge for the care of the elderly since a diagnosis of diabetes requires adequate glycemic control and effective treatment to maintain stable glucose levels.
People with diabetes aged 65, 70, or older may experience alterations in the treatment process and have an eventual spike in blood sugar (hyperglycemia).
However, several general guidelines can help (a lot) to regulate and, if necessary, lower glucose levels in the elderly.
What are the complications of diabetes in the elderly?
Diabetes is a disease with a high incidence in Spain, especially among the elderly. It is estimated that more than a third of adults over 70 years of age in Spain have diabetes, according to the 25th Congress of the Spanish Diabetes Society (SED).
Diabetes in the elderly can cause significant microvascular complications, presenting some of these disorders :
- Diabetic neuropathy: This is one of the most common problems, and is characterized by numbness and pain, especially in the feet and legs.
- Diabetic retinopathy: damage to the blood vessels of the retina.
- Diabetic ulcers: These lesions appear in 25% of people with diabetes. They appear in the feet or legs and are a chronic complication that can become complex and lead to amputation of the limb.
For this reason, there is no need to be alarmed if your doctor suggests an annual check-up with an ophthalmologist, neurologist, or podiatrist since these conditions can appear as a consequence of diabetes, not only in older adults but in all diabetics, even young people .
How to control glucose levels at 70 years old
Part of diabetes treatment is to consult specialists as indicated, but it is also key for older adults to maintain adequate glycemic control.
What does this mean? Well, following medical guidelines that include not only taking care of what you eat and exercising but also keeping track of your capillary glucose level (measuring blood sugar levels with a glucometer ).
In general terms, treatment to control glucose levels in elderly people consists of three fundamental guidelines: medication, diet, and exercise.
#Medication
This may vary depending on the individual needs of each older adult. Oral medications and insulin are common options for diabetes treatment. However, it is the physician who determines which pharmacological approach is most appropriate for each individual.
Some drugs are designed to increase insulin production, while others aim to improve sensitivity to this hormone.
#Dieta
To control and avoid a rise in blood glucose, preventing the risk of more severe complications, it is important to maintain a balanced and varied diet in which the consumption of sugar and other simple carbohydrates is limited (as much as possible).
But it is also necessary to focus the diet on foods that contain a lot of fiber, since this nutrient is a type of complex carbohydrate that helps slow down the absorption of glucose in the body, avoiding dangerous spikes in blood sugar.
Foods rich in fiber include mainly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
#Physical exercise
As you can imagine, maintaining a sedentary lifestyle is not advisable for a person who has diabetes.
While it’s understandable that mobility and fitness-related complications may occur in older adults, staying active is the best thing you can do to keep your blood sugar levels in check and for your overall health.
You don’t need to run a marathon to be active. Experts recommend aerobic exercises to improve or lower blood glucose levels, and among them, one of the most accessible and easy to do is simply walking.
If you take a daily walk for a few minutes at a moderate pace, you can be sure that it will help your blood glucose levels. Give it a try.
How to lower glucose levels at 70 years old
To lower glucose levels at age 65 or 70 or older, it is key to maintain a healthy lifestyle taking into account these two possible scenarios:
If the elderly person does not know that he or she has diabetes and suffered an unusual increase in blood sugar, the important thing is to make a 180-degree turn in his or her daily habits and follow the general guidelines mentioned to control the levels of this disorder of glucose metabolism .
If you are diabetic, the first thing you should know is that you may eventually experience an increase in blood glucose (hyperglycemia), so it is important to put these healthy tips into practice :
- 1. Follow medical instructions and maintain regular contact with the professional in case of increased blood glucose.
- 2. Monitor blood glucose with the measuring instrument (glucometer), as many times as indicated by the doctor.
- 3. Maintain weight.
- 4. Do physical exercise.
- 5. Avoid tobacco and alcohol consumption.
- 6. Maintain a healthy diet, free of sugars, trans and saturated fats.
- 7. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
- 8. Drink plenty of water (approximately 2 liters).
- 9. Control meal portions.
- 10. Choose foods with a low glycemic index (see labels).
