Comparison of “burden of disease” in elderly and non-elderly patients with pre-diabetes: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE: There are a lot of studies comparing elderly and adult patients with diabetes but not pre-diabetes systematically. We aimed to compare the discrepancies of clinical status and burden of disease in elderly (≥60 years old) versus non-elderly (18–59 years old) adult pre-diabetics. METHODS: A total of 126 pre-diabetic patients were included in the study and were compared as two groups; the elderly (n=32) and non-elderly (n=94). Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, body mass index (BMI), the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), health-related quality of life using the short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, and disability using the health assessment questionnaire (HAQ) were evaluated. RESULTS: Gender, BMI, the presence of obesity, the ratio of HOMA-IR, FPG, and plasma glucose in the 2(nd) h oral glucose tolerance test were similar in non-elderly patients with pre-diabetes compared to the elderly ones. However, HbA1c levels were higher in elderly subjects in our study. According to the SF-36 questionnaire and HAQ score, there were no significant differences between groups. The median total HAQ scores were 0.125 (non-elderly) and 0.250 (elderly) for groups and there was no significant difference (p=0.099). CONCLUSION: In the similar gender and BMI groups, pre-diabetes in the elderly gives different outcomes according to HbA1c. Since SF-36 questionnaire and HAQ scores were not statistically different in both pre-diabetic groups, the burden of disease is thought to be basically due to the presence of the disease rather than aging.