Risk Factors Associated With Severe Hypoglycemia in Older Adults With Type 1 Diabetes

Impact of the 2013 National Rollout of CMS Competitive Bidding Program: The Disruption Continues

OBJECTIVE

Use of glucose monitoring is essential to the safety of individuals with insulin-treated diabetes. In 2011, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) implemented the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program (CBP) in nine test markets. This resulted in a substantial disruption of beneficiary access to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) supplies and significant increases in the percentage of beneficiaries with either reduced or no acquisition of supplies. These reductions were significantly associated with increased mortality, hospitalizations, and costs. The CBP was implemented nationally in July 2013. We evaluated the impact of this rollout to determine if the adverse outcomes seen in 2011 persisted.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This longitudinal study followed 529,627 insulin-treated beneficiaries from 2009 through 2013 to assess changes in beneficiary acquisition of testing supplies in the initial nine test markets (TEST, n = 43,939) and beneficiaries not affected by the 2011 rollout (NONTEST, n = 485,688). All Medicare beneficiary records for analysis were obtained from CMS.

RESULTS

The percentages of beneficiaries with partial/no SMBG acquisition were significantly higher in both the TEST (37.4%) and NONTEST (37.6%) groups after the first 6 months of the national CBP rollout, showing increases of 48.1% and 60.0%, respectively (both P < 0.0001). The percentage of beneficiaries with no record for SMBG acquisition increased from 54.1% in January 2013 to 62.5% by December 2013.

CONCLUSIONS

Disruption of beneficiary access to their prescribed SMBG supplies has persisted and worsened. Diabetes testing supplies should be excluded from the CBP until transparent, science-based methodologies for safety monitoring are adopted and implemented.

The Experience of Partners of Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: an Integrative Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review was to synthesize the research on the experience of partners living with adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

RECENT FINDINGS

Eleven studies were included in the review. Three themes on the experience of living with a person with T1D were identified: the undercurrent of hypoglycemia, partners' involvement in diabetes care, and the impact on partners' lives. Due to considerable fear of hypoglycemia, partners had pervasive and deliberate ways in which they made attempts to minimize hypoglycemia in the person with diabetes and its cascade to a health emergency. As a result, partners of adults with T1D experienced considerable distress and disrupted lives. Partners also expressed a need for more support from family, friends, and health professionals. Research is needed on the partner experience across the lifespan and the specific supportive services they need in order to optimize their health outcomes.

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and Cognitive Impairments: A Systematic Review

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a major subtype of diabetes and is usually diagnosed at a young age with insulin deficiency. The life expectancy of T1DM patients has increased substantially in comparison with that three decades ago due to the availability of exogenous insulin, though it is still shorter than that of healthy people. However, the relation remains unclear between T1DM and dementia as an aging-related disease. We conducted a systematic review of existing literature on T1DM and cognition impairments by carrying out searches in electronic databases Medline, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. We restricted our review to studies involving only human subjects and excluded studies on type 2 diabetes mellitus or non-classified diabetes. A meta-analysis was first performed on the relationship between T1DM and cognitive changes in youths and adults respectively. Then the review focused on the cognitive complications of T1DM and their relation with the characteristics of T1DM, glycemic control, diabetic complications, comorbidities, and others. First, age at onset, disease duration, and glycemic dysregulation were delineated for their association with cognitive changes. Then diabetic ketoacidosis, angiopathy, and neuropathy were examined as diabetic complications for their involvement in cognitive impairments. Lastly, body mass index and blood pressure were discussed for their relations with the cognitive changes. Future studies are needed to elucidate the pathogenesis of T1DM-related cognitive impairments or dementia.

Devoting attention to glucose variability and hypoglycaemia in type 2 diabetes

In the Trial Comparing Cardiovascular Safety of Insulin Degludec vs Insulin Glargine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes at High Risk of Cardiovascular Events (DEVOTE), insulin degludec was non-inferior to insulin glargine in terms of cardiovascular events and mortality. However, there were lower rates of severe hypoglycaemia with insulin degludec. DEVOTE investigators now extend these findings by presenting the results of two observational epidemiological analyses based on trial data. In the first of these analyses (DEVOTE 2), Zinman et al (Diabetologia DOI: 10.1007/s00125-017-4423-z ) demonstrate that, compared with individuals with lower day-to-day fasting glycaemic variability, those with higher day-to-day fasting glycaemic variability had a similar risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) but a higher risk of severe hypoglycaemia and all-cause mortality. In the second analysis (DEVOTE 3), Pieber et al (Diabetologia DOI: 10.1007/s00125-017-4422-0 ) found that individuals who experienced severe hypoglycaemia had a similar risk of MACE compared with those who never experienced severe hypoglycaemia, but had a more than twofold higher risk of subsequent total mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. The strengths of these studies relate to the availability of high-quality prospective data on adjudicated severe hypoglycaemia, MACE and mortality events in a large number of high-risk insulin-treated individuals with type 2 diabetes. Limitations include the observational nature of the data and thus residual confounding remains possible. Furthermore, the short duration of the trial resulted in limited statistical power for some analyses. Therefore, whilst DEVOTE 2 and DEVOTE 3 raise awareness of the mortality risks associated with glucose variability and severe hypoglycaemia in high-risk, insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes, they cannot clarify causal relationships. Preventing severe hypoglycaemia in those with type 2 diabetes should already be a priority in clinical practice. However, findings from future clinical trials are needed to guide physicians on whether it is beneficial to target glucose variability, and risk for severe hypoglycaemia, to reduce the risks for CVD events and mortality in these individuals.

The Giant Geriatric Syndromes Are Intensified by Diabetic Complications

By 2015, diabetes has affected more than 415 million people over the world. It is anticipated that 640 million adults will suffer from diabetes in 2040. The elongation of the life expectancy, as the result of better general health care, extends also the time when diabetic complications may develop together with other senility-specific problems. The Giant Geriatric Syndromes (Geriatric Giants) have been qualified by the original Nascher's criteria defined more than 100 years ago, but they are becoming more and more relevant in connection with the aging of societies. The criteria comprise the older age, commonness of the health problem, multifactorial etiology, functional or cognitive impairment, worsened outcome, and increased morbidity and mortality. We described the impact of diabetes on Geriatric Giants including cognitive dysfunction, depression, malnutrition, incontinence, falls and fractures, chronic pain, and the loss of senses. The association of diabetes with Geriatric Giants reveals as a vicious circle with the background of neurovascular complications. However, diabetes influence on the incidence of cancer in elderly was also discussed, since neoplastic diseases associate with Geriatric Giants, for example, chronic pain and depression. The knowledge about these aspects of functional decline in geriatric population is crucial to improve patient care.

Evaluating the relationships of hypoglycaemia and HbA1c with screening-detected diabetes distress in type 1 diabetes

AIMS

To explore the relationship between diabetes distress, glucose control and awareness of hypoglycaemia in adults with type 1 diabetes.

METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study using data collected from 280 consecutive type 1 diabetes patients who used a routine clinic consultation tool that recorded HbA1c, hypoglycaemia awareness (measured using the Gold score) and diabetes distress (measured using the Diabetes Distress Scale 2 [DDS2]). We assessed correlations between DDS2 and HbA1c and DDS2 and Gold score and performed an ordinal regression analysis to identify factors contributing to distress.

RESULTS

Diabetes distress was significantly correlated with HbA1c (r = .319, P < .001) and Gold score (r = .258, P < .001) independently and with synergistic effect. Female gender was also associated with diabetes distress, while age, BMI, duration of diabetes, severity of complications and use of CSII pumps were not. Occurrence of severe hypoglycaemia (SH) episodes increased with Gold score in a linear manner throughout the scale.

CONCLUSIONS

This study has identified new evidence of a significant, independent relationship between diabetes distress measured by the DDS2 and reduced awareness of hypoglycaemia in people with type 1 diabetes. It also demonstrates that diabetes distress is significantly associated with HbA1c and female gender independently. The DDS2 identifies distress associated with both hypo- and hyperglycaemia and can be a useful creening tool. Additionally, the occurrence of SH increases with increasing Gold score.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Older Adults With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Using Multiple Daily Injections of Insulin: Results From the DIAMOND Trial

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to determine the effectiveness of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in adults ≥ 60 years of age with type 1 (T1D) or type 2 (T2D) diabetes using multiple daily insulin injections (MDI).

METHODS

A multicenter, randomized trial was conducted in the United States and Canada in which 116 individuals ≥60 years (mean 67 ± 5 years) with T1D (n = 34) or T2D (n = 82) using MDI therapy were randomly assigned to either CGM (Dexcom™ G4 Platinum CGM System® with software 505; n = 63) or continued management with self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG; n = 53). Median diabetes duration was 21 (14, 30) years and mean baseline HbA1c was 8.5 ± 0.6%. The primary outcome, HbA1c at 24 weeks, was obtained for 114 (98%) participants.

RESULTS

HbA1c reduction from baseline to 24 weeks was greater in the CGM group than Control group (-0.9 ± 0.7% versus -0.5 ± 0.7%, adjusted difference in mean change was -0.4 ± 0.1%, P < .001). CGM-measured time >250 mg/dL ( P = .006) and glycemic variability ( P = .02) were lower in the CGM group. Among the 61 in the CGM group completing the trial, 97% used CGM ≥ 6 days/week in month 6. There were no severe hypoglycemic or diabetic ketoacidosis events in either group.

CONCLUSION

In adults ≥ 60 years of age with T1D and T2D using MDI, CGM use was high and associated with improved HbA1c and reduced glycemic variability. Therefore, CGM should be considered for older adults with diabetes using MDI.

Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring Facilitates Feelings of Safety in Older Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

Older adults with long-standing type 1 diabetes (T1D) have a higher risk for hypoglycemia and hypoglycemia unawareness. Hypoglycemia can be dangerous, even fatal. Real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) effectively supports diabetes management and well-being in adult and pediatric populations. Little is known about older adults and RT-CGM use. The purpose of this study was to identify why RT-CGM was important for diabetes management in individuals with T1D 65 years of age.

METHODS

A convenience sample of older adults with T1D participated in one of two online surveys about RT-CGM. Categorical data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A qualitative content analysis was conducted for open-ended responses.

RESULTS

Participants (N = 22) included in this study were those using RT-CGM (n = 11) and those who were not using RT-CGM, but desired to do so (n = 11). Those using RT-CGM were less likely to experience severe hypoglycemia ( P = .02) or hypoglycemia resulting in a fall or inability to operate a motor vehicle ( P = .01) Three major themes were identified: (1) RT-CGM facilitates feelings of safety by preventing hypoglycemia, (2) RT-CGM improves well-being, and (3) access is a barrier to RT-CGM use.

CONCLUSIONS

RT-CGM improves safety and well-being in older adults with T1D by preventing hypoglycemia and associated injury and worry. Older adults without access to RT-CGM experience more severe hypoglycemia events that negatively affect their safety and well-being. Improving access to RT-CGM in older adults is critical to improving health and safety, and demands more attention from stakeholders in diabetes care.

Hypoglycemia evaluation and reporting in diabetes: Importance for the development of new therapies

Hypoglycemia complicating diabetes therapy is well recognized to be an ever-present threat to patients, their families, providers, payers, and regulators. Despite this being widely acknowledged, the regulatory stance on hypoglycemia as an endpoint in clinical trials to support new product registration has not evolved in any meaningful way since the publication of a position paper by an American Diabetes Association (ADA) Workgroup in 2005. As the impact of hypoglycemia on persons affected by diabetes is of major importance when assessing new treatments, the historical position of regulatory agencies on hypoglycemia is reviewed with respect to product approvals. The purpose of this article is to present proposals for facilitating development of therapies that reduce hypoglycemia risk through (1) development of composite measures of benefit for regulatory endpoints and (2) facilitation of the fulfillment of an unmet clinical need for reducing hypoglycemia. In view of greater comprehension of the effects of hypoglycemia, coupled with improved methodology to assess its frequency, the authors recommend: (1) a numerical cut point of <54 mg/dl (<3.0 mmol/L) as a clinically relevant level with which to define meaningful hypoglycemia for trials of diabetes therapies; (2) utilization in clinical trials of mature glucose monitoring technologies for purposes of regulatory evaluation and clinical decision-making; and (3) development of primary efficacy endpoint composites that include hypoglycemia rates and glycemic control.

Predicting the 6-month risk of severe hypoglycemia among adults with diabetes: Development and external validation of a prediction model

AIMS

To develop and externally validate a prediction model for the 6-month risk of a severe hypoglycemic event among individuals with pharmacologically treated diabetes.

METHODS

The development cohort consisted of 31,674 Kaiser Permanente Colorado members with pharmacologically treated diabetes (2007-2015). The validation cohorts consisted of 38,764 Kaiser Permanente Northwest members and 12,035 HealthPartners members. Variables were chosen that would be available in electronic health records. We developed 16-variable and 6-variable models, using a Cox counting model process that allows for the inclusion of multiple 6-month observation periods per person.

RESULTS

Across the three cohorts, there were 850,992 6-month observation periods, and 10,448 periods with at least one severe hypoglycemic event. The six-variable model contained age, diabetes type, HgbA1c, eGFR, history of a hypoglycemic event in the prior year, and insulin use. Both prediction models performed well, with good calibration and c-statistics of 0.84 and 0.81 for the 16-variable and 6-variable models, respectively. In the external validation cohorts, the c-statistics were 0.80-0.84.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and validated two prediction models for predicting the 6-month risk of hypoglycemia. The 16-variable model had slightly better performance than the 6-variable model, but in some practice settings, use of the simpler model may be preferred.

How Can We Realize the Clinical Benefits of Continuous Glucose Monitoring?

Controlling glycemia in diabetes remains key to prevent complications in this condition. However, glucose levels can undergo large fluctuations secondary to daily activities, consequently creating management difficulties. The current review summarizes the basics of glucose management in diabetes by addressing the main glycemic parameters. The advantages and limitation of HbA1c, the gold standard measure of glucose control, are discussed together with the clinical importance of hypoglycemia and glycemic variability. The review subsequently moves focus to glucose monitoring techniques in diabetes, assessing advantages and limitations. Monitoring glucose levels is crucial for effective and safe adjustment of hypoglycemic therapy, particularly in insulin users. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), based on capillary glucose testing, remains one of the most widely used methods to monitor glucose levels, given the relative accuracy, familiarity, and manageable costs. However, patient inconvenience and the sporadic nature of SMBG limit clinical effectiveness of this approach. In contrast, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) provides a more comprehensive picture of glucose levels, but these systems are expensive and require constant calibration which, together with concerns over accuracy of earlier devices, restrict CGM use to special groups of patients. The newer flash continuous glucose monitoring (FCGM) system, which is more affordable than conventional CGM devices and does not require calibration, offers an alternative glucose monitoring strategy that comprehensively analyzes glucose profile while sparing patients the inconvenience of capillary glucose testing for therapy adjustment or CGM calibration. The fast development of new CGM devices will gradually displace SMBG as the main glucose testing method. Avoiding the inconvenience of SMBG and optimizing glycemia through alternative glucose testing strategies will help to reduce the risk of complications and improve quality of life in patients with diabetes.

The upside down world of diabetes care medical economics and what we might do to improve it

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Increasingly over the past generation, the American healthcare delivery system has received consistently poor marks with regard to public health outcomes and costs. This review by two seasoned diabetes care providers is intended to shed light on the fundamental flaws we believe to underlie that poor performance, and suggest options for better outcomes and cost efficiencies.

RECENT FINDINGS

Despite major advances in diabetes management medications and tools, overall public health with regard to diabetes outcomes remains poor. Efforts focused on controlling costs appear to be exacerbating the problem.

SUMMARY

For chronic diseases like diabetes, fee-for-service care models are fundamentally flawed and predictably fail. We suggest that a major overhaul of the medical economics underlying diabetes care can improve patient outcomes and decrease costs.

Cognitive Dysfunction in Older Adults With Diabetes: What a Clinician Needs to Know

One of the challenges of managing older adults with diabetes is the individualization of care in people with multiple comorbid conditions. Although macrovascular and microvascular complications of diabetes are well recognized, there is a lack of awareness regarding other conditions such as cognitive dysfunction, depression, and physical disabilities. Cognitive dysfunction is of particular importance because of its impact on self-care and quality of life. In this Perspective, I discuss common and practical questions faced by clinicians managing diabetes in older adults who also have cognitive dysfunction.

Utility of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

A consensus conference of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology held in February 2016 advocated expanding the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in the management of diabetes. Based on the data described in this paper, CGM use is shown to improve glucose control and reduce hypoglycemic events, and therefore has the potential to reduce the risk of acute and chronic complications of diabetes. Likely, all of the above would not only improve the quality of life and life expectancy of people with diabetes, but would also have a positive impact on health-related cost.

Hypoglycemia in Older Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

BACKGROUND

Hypoglycemia is a major concern in older adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and there is limited knowledge in this population. We examined data from 199 adults, ≥60 years of age, who participated in a T1D Exchange study assessing factors associated with severe hypoglycemia (SH) in older adults with T1D: 100 with SH in the prior year and 99 with no SH in prior 3 years (mean age 68; mean diabetes duration 40 years; 47% female; 92% non-Hispanic white). Hypoglycemia was assessed with up to 14 days of blinded continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Linear regression models were performed to assess the association between biochemical hypoglycemia [defined as percentage of time below specific cutoffs (<70/60/50 mg/dL)] and various factors.

RESULTS

Overall, participants had CGM values <70 mg/dL for a median of 91 min per day. On 53% of days, glucose levels continuously were <70 mg/dL for ≥20 min. Hypoglycemia was found to be strongly associated with glucose variability (r = 0.76; P < 0.001). Time spent in hypoglycemia was greater in those who were younger (P = 0.004), had shorter diabetes duration (P = 0.008), lower HbA1c (P < 0.001), and undetectable C-peptide (P = 0.001), but did not differ by insulin method, education level, number of blood glucose checks per day, cognition, activities of daily living, or fear of hypoglycemia.

INNOVATION

This study adds valuable data on the frequency of hypoglycemia in older adults with T1D.

CONCLUSION

Future studies need to focus on how to prevent hypoglycemia in this vulnerable population of older adults with long-standing T1D.

Cognition in Adults and Older Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: Chicken or Egg?

IN BRIEF Cognitive impairment and cognitive decline are common in adults with type 1 diabetes. Although several diabetes-related variables have been associated with cognitive functioning in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, inconsistencies remain. This is particularly true in older adults. Cognitive impairment appears to be both a consequence of and a risk factor for poor diabetes self-management and associated glycemic outcomes. Interventions such as cognitive compensatory strategies, assistive technology, and simplified treatment regimens may limit the impact of cognitive impairment on self-management in adults and older adults with type 1 diabetes.

9th Annual Symposium on Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose, April 28-30, 2016, Madrid, Spain

International experts in the field of diabetes and diabetes technology met in Madrid, Spain, for the 9th Annual Symposium on Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose. The goal of these meetings is to establish a global network of experts, thus facilitating new collaborations and research projects to improve the lives of people with diabetes. The 2016 meeting comprised a comprehensive scientific program, parallel interactive workshops, and two keynote lectures.

Associations between recent severe hypoglycemia, retinal vessel diameters, and cognition in adults with type 1 diabetes

AIMS

Mild cognitive dysfunction has been identified in children and adults with type 1 diabetes, but most studies have failed to find a relationship between severe hypoglycemia and cognition, despite reports of such associations in older adults with type 2 diabetes. Focusing on older adults with type 1 diabetes, we examined the associations between cognitive performance and recent episodes of severe hypoglycemia, retinal vessel diameters and the presence of micro- and macrovascular complications.

METHODS

Cognitive functioning was assessed in 244 participants enrolled in the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy. The mean (SD; range) age at assessment in 2012-14 was 55.2 (8.3; 37-82) years and the mean (SD) duration of diabetes was 41.1 (5.6) years. Three cognitive domains were assessed in this cross-sectional study: mental efficiency and executive function, nonverbal memory, and verbal memory.

RESULTS

Multivariate modeling demonstrated that although age and/or education are most strongly associated with performance on measures of mental efficiency, three diabetes-related variables were also associated with poorer test scores: an episode of severe hypoglycemia in the past year (β=-0.360 [95% CI, -0.672, -0.047]), retinal arteriolar and venular diameters (β=0.140 [95% CI, 0.062, 0.219]; β=-0.127 [95% CI -0.207, -0.047]), and carotid artery plaque (β=-0.372 [95% CI -0.741, -0.003]). In addition, recent severe hypoglycemia was associated with poorer nonverbal memory (β=-0.522 [95% CI, -0.849, -0.194]).

CONCLUSIONS

For middle-aged and older adults with long-duration type 1 diabetes, poorer cognition was associated with a recent episode of severe hypoglycemia as well as with the presence of micro- and/or macrovascular conditions. Given the increasing numbers of aging adults with type 1 diabetes, future longitudinal studies are needed to identify causality and to determine whether diabetes management techniques that reduce the onset or severity of vascular complications and hypoglycemia can also reduce the risk of cognitive dysfunction in this population.

Fear of Hypoglycemia in Children and Adolescents and Their Parents with Type 1 Diabetes

Hypoglycemia is a frequent occurrence in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. A variety of efforts have been made to standardize the definition of hypoglycemia and to define one of its most significant psychosocial consequences-fear of hypoglycemia (FOH). In addition to documenting the experience of FOH in children and adolescents type 1 diabetes and their parents, studies have investigated the relations between FOH and glycemic control and diabetes technology use. This review provides a summary of the recent FOH literature as it applies to pediatric type 1 diabetes.

The Impact of Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients 65 Years and Older

BACKGROUND

Older adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) or insulin-using type 2 diabetes (iT2D) are at high risk for severe hypoglycemic episodes. Real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) in this population may reduce this risk, but when patients switch to Medicare at age 65, RT-CGM is no longer a covered benefit. We developed a survey to examine health and quality of life (QOL) benefits of RT-CGM in seniors (age ≥ 65).

METHODS

Two groups of seniors with T1D or iT2D-current RT-CGM users (n = 210) and RT-CGM "hopefuls" (patients who wanted but could not obtain RT-CGM due to lack of insurance coverage; n = 75)-completed an online survey. The survey examined history of hypoglycemic experiences as well as current quality of life (QOL), including generic and diabetes-specific measures.

RESULTS

Current users reported fewer moderate (P < .01) and fewer severe hypoglycemic episodes (P < .01) over the past 6 months than "hopefuls" and greater reductions over time in hypoglycemic events requiring the assistance of another, ER visits, and paramedic visits to the home (in all cases, P < .01). Regarding QOL, current users reported significantly better well-being (P < .001), less hypoglycemic fear (P < .05), and less diabetes distress (P < .05) than "hopefuls."

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that RT-CGM use in seniors is associated with reductions in episodes of severe hypoglycemia and improved QOL, suggesting that restrictive access to RT-CGM in the Medicare age population may have deleterious health, economic, and QOL consequences.

The Psychosocial Challenges and Care of Older Adults with Diabetes: "Can't Do What I Used To Do; Can't Be Who I Once Was"

The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in older populations worldwide. Older adults with diabetes have unique psychosocial and medical challenges that impact self-care and glycemic control. These challenges may include psychological factors such as depression or anxiety, social factors such loss of independence and removal from home environment/placement in a facility, and medical factors such as multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy. Importantly, these challenges interact and complicate the everyday life of the older adult with diabetes. Thus, timely identification and interventions for psychosocial and medical challenges are a necessary component of diabetes care. This review summarizes the current literature, research findings, and clinical recommendations for psychosocial care in older adults with diabetes.