Very few diabetes trials have ever included people aged 80 years or older (BMJ, 2015).

Yet a search of the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 1990 and 2013 identified 12,881 people who were newly diagnosed with diabetes in that age group and who were given drug treatment (Hamada & Gulliford, 2015).

Although the number of prescriptions increased during that period, there was a large drop in prescriptions for sulfonylureas (WHAT).

Type 2 diabetes is a risk state for which the benefit of treatment tails off with age, and doctors cannot discuss this with their patients, who are aged over 80, because there is no evidence to discuss.

References

BMJ 2015;350:h3206.

Hamada, S. & Gulliford, M.C. (2015) Antidiabetic and Cardiovascular Drug Utilisation in Patients Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus over the Age of 80 Years: A Population-based Cohort Study. Age and Ageing. First published online: May 25, 2015. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afv065.