Is diet and exercise feasible for frail elder patients in relation to diabetes management?
While diet and exercise are the cornerstones of diabetes management, lifestyle modification may be difficult to implement in some frail elderly patients, especially those with multiple comorbidities and limited mobility. • When is it appropriate to use insulin as a first-line therapy? It may be appropriate to use insulin as a first-line therapy when the patient’s blood glucose level is consistently higher than 180 mg/dL. • Are diets such as “no concentrated sweets”, “no added sugar”, and “liberal diabetic diet” appropriate for patients with diabetes? The notion of a “diabetic diet” is outdated and perpetuates the false notion that restricting sucrose-sweetened foods will improve glycemic control. A restricted diet may be detrimental to quality of life in the frail elderly patient for whom food is one of life’s few remaining pleasures. • Should patients with diabetes restrict fat intake? Fat restriction reduces the palatability of food and is not indicated for the majority of patients i
