Treatment of comorbidities in older people

One in five people over 65 and one in four people over 75 are affected by diabetes. Global projections predict a 2.5-fold increase in diabetes prevalence over the next 25 years. Among older people with diabetes, 30–45% are affected by frailty. The risk of frailty increases with increasing HbA_1c. The incidence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) doubles with age, with a prevalence of 38.5% for coronary heart disease (CHD), 13% for stroke and 12% for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in people aged ≥70 years. In addition to their glucose-controlling effect, new antidiabetic drugs have organ-protective benefits and have brought about a paradigm shift in diabetology.