Sitagliptin in the Elderly

Summary

Diabetes is common in the elderly; by the age of 70, approximately 25% of the population will have diabetes. Unfortunately, currently available medications are often not as effective or not well tolerated in older adults. Sitagliptin is a new medication in a new class of agent called incretins. Incretins have many potential advantages for the treatment of diabetes in the elderly. They stimulate insulin secretion, which is impaired in all older people with diabetes. The incidence of hypoglycemia with currently available medications increases with age, and incretins rarely cause hypoglycemia . They assist with weight loss, whereas many current medications used to manage diabetes result in weight gain in the elderly. They improve insulin action, and insulin resistance is a major problem in older people with diabetes.

Timeline

Start

2006-11

Primary completion

2012-11

Completion

2012-11

Publications

• Stafford S, Elahi D, Meneilly GS. Effect of the dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor sitagliptin in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2011 Jun;59(6):1148-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03438.x. No abstract available.

Drugs

Indications