Living with diabetes is a unique challenge for the more than six million Filipinos affected by the condition. Every day, Filipinos living with diabetes are faced with multiple lifestyle considerations such as choices of food, exercise, and medication.
These challenges get more difficult with age. With age comes an increased risk for further complications such as visual, hearing, and mobility impairments. Diabetes can also affect their overall immunity against communicable diseases.
Hence, it is important that during celebrations like Chinese New Year, senior citizens and their caregivers pay more attention to their food intake.
The increased risk of diabetes among the elderly
In a 2022 study by Giron and De Vega in the ASEAN Endocrine Journal, it is suggested that 20.5 percent of their Filipino senior citizen respondents are living with diabetes. Seniors living with diabetes experience slow and progressive impairment of body functions, which can deteriorate their immunity and lifestyle.
Insulin secretion is found to decrease with age, which may affect how senior citizens control their sugar. Because of uncontrolled sugar, the likelihood for them to develop complications increases.
Early symptoms of increased sugar could be absent. Hence, some seniors may experience these early signs such as increased hunger or thirst, frequent urination, fatiguability, and blurred vision and dismiss these as signs of aging, but these could be signs of asymptomatic diabetes.
Continuous glucose monitoring for better glucose control
The Abbott FreeStyle Libre System, a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device, is an innovative technology that helps people understand their glucose trends through a handheld touchscreen reader, which scans a coin-sized sensor applied on the back of the upper arm. Through this technology, Filipinos living with diabetes can have a complete picture of their glucose profile anytime and anywhere without the need for routine finger pricks.
This helps seniors living with diabetes, their caregivers, and doctors create a personalized diabetes management plan to better control their aging loved one’s glucose levels. Cloud-based technologies, such as LibreView, can also help doctors monitor their patient’s sugar levels anytime and anywhere.
One benefit of CGM is it helps patients living with diabetes to plan and choose what food they can eat based on their real-time glucose levels. Too much fluctuation in glucose levels can also increase the risk of development of diabetic complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, etc.
Additionally, better diabetes management through CGM, complemented with proper nutrition, can also improve elderly immunity against communicable diseases1.
Living life better with diabetes management
Living with and managing diabetes is not easy for senior citizens. But with real-time glucose data from CGM, it is easier for Filipinos living with diabetes to finally know what they can eat and when, when should they exercise or not, and best of all, they no longer have to prick their fingers.
However, family members and caregivers should also do their part in monitoring and helping our seniors improve their lifestyle choices.
To summarize, caring for our aging loved ones with diabetes can be complicated due to the aging process. Through CGM, family members can better understand the immediate needs of their loved ones living with diabetes and support their glucose control.
Dr. Grace Delos Santos is the Past President of Diabetes Philippines.