Measuring quality of life of old type 2 diabetic patients in primary care in Portugal: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: With the increasing prevalence of diabetes in patients aged over 75, the task of ensuring a good quality of life became even greater. This study aimed to evaluate quality of life of the very elderly (≥75 years) type 2 diabetic primary care patient, in an urban family practice setting. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted. Quality of life (QoL) was assessed with the Portuguese version of EASY-Care. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. RESULTS: Eighty three elderly type 2 diabetics were included in the study, with a mean age of 80.9 ± 4.3 years old. Most were women, widowed or married, with low educational levels, living with family members in urban areas and presented medium/low incomes. Participants were diagnosed with diabetes for 11.2 ± 10.1 years. Most of them were treated with oral antidiabetic agents, presented complications of diabetes and had good glycemic control. Despite that, excess weight, uncontrolled blood pressure and poor lipid management were noticed. In general, the participants perceived a positive quality of life. The worst perceived domain was “mental health and well-being”. Within the sociodemographic variables, gender, monthly income, and living arrangements interfered the most with the quality of life domains. Studied clinical variables affected quality of life very modestly. CONCLUSIONS: In an urban primary care setting, when treating very elderly type 2 diabetic patients, and despite good glycemic control, attention should be paid to the QoL of women, the low income diabetics, their living arrangements and thoroughly evaluate the mental health and well-being of these patients.