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. 2017 Jul 28;6(3):175–186. doi: 10.1007/s13670-017-0215-z

Table 1.

Current professional society guidelines for glycemic control in older adults with diabetes

Professional society Older age definition Recommendations
American Diabetes Association (ADA) [1] ≥65 years Health status HbA1c FPG/PPG
 Healthy  <7.5%  90–130 mg/dl
 Intermediate  <8.0%  90–150 mg/dl
 Poor  <8.5%  100–180 mg/dl
American Geriatrics Society [2] ≥65 years Category HbA1c
 Overall  7.5–8.0%
 Healthy/few comorbidities  7.0–7.5%
 Poor health  8.0–9.0%
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) [3] No age indicated Category “Less healthy” Glycemic control “Less stringent”
International Diabetes Federation [4] ≥70 years Category HbA1c
 Functionally independent  7.0–7.5%
 Functionally dependent  7.0–8.0%
 Frail/dementia  Up to 8.5%
 End of life  “Avoid symptomatic hyperglycemia”
European Association for the Study of Diabetes [5] No age indicated Personalize HbA1c targets based on expected life duration, age, etc.

Note that ADA has specific guidelines for those in long-term care or skilled-nursing facilities, not listed here