Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(2):78-83

Does Hyperglycemia Cause Symptoms in Elderly People?

Hiltunen L.A., Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi S.M.

Department of Public Health Science and General Practice, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Unit of General Practice, Oulu, Finland

The aim of the present study was to describe the associations between glucose tolerance and symptoms in an unselected non-institutionalised elderly population aged 73 years or over (n= 259, of whom 93 were men). Diabetes was assessed on the basis of self-reports and 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (1985 WHO criteria). Symptoms were measured with a modified diabetes symptom checklist (DSC-Type 2).
The previously diagnosed diabetic patients reported to have more symptoms in all the six dimensions of the symptom checklist than the other study groups. According to the responses to twenty out of 34 items, more of the previously diagnosed diabetic women had symptoms than the other female study groups; the corresponding figure for the previously diagnosed diabetic men being 16/34. The following hyperglycaemic symptoms: "dry mouth", "increasing fatigue in the course of the day", "numbness in the hands", were either weakly or significantly associated with undiagnosed diabetes. Men with IGT reported to have "dry mouth" and "tingling or pricking in the legs or feet" more often than men with NGT. Symptoms of "moodiness" increased along with the deterioration of glucose tolerance, and it seems that depression is associated with type 2 diabetes in elderly people, too.
Although the study covered a wide range of symptoms, it did not clearly reveal such symptoms that could be used as potential indicators of undiagnosed diabetes or especially IGT among elderly patients.

Keywords: elderly, epidemiological study, OGTT, symptoms, type 2 diabetes

Received: May 16, 2003; Revised: February 3, 2004; Accepted: February 3, 2004; Published: June 1, 2004  Show citation