Type 2 Diabetes in People Older than 65

One in four people over the age of 65 has type 2 diabetes. Tips for treating older patients with diabetes include:

· Focus on avoiding hypoglycemia, as hypoglycemia increases the risk of falls, cognitive decline, and death

· Avoid use of glyburide and glimepiride, which increase the risk of hypoglycemia

· Reassess A1c goals often, resist overtreatment, and consider higher A1c targets for patients who are frail, have dementia, or live in nursing homes

· If insulin is needed, give basal insulin in the morning instead of the evening and lower any mealtime doses

· Continue diabetes medications that have cardiovascular benefits or other non-glycemic benefits, if patients are tolerating them well

Why Patients Don't Take Statin Drugs

According to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the main reason that patients who could benefit from a statin drug don't take one is that the provider never offered a statin. Women, black adults, and people without insurance were most likely to report that they had not been offered statins. Fear of side effects is a common reason for patients to decline statins when recommended by a provider. However, over half of patients who previously declined statins will take one if the provider approaches them again and explores barriers to taking the drugs.

Study Finds No Link Between Autism and MMR

A new study found no association between MMR vaccination and autism. The study involved nearly 700,000 children born in Denmark from 1999 to 2010. The risk of autism was the same in children who received the MMR vaccine as children who did not receive the MMR vaccine. MMR vaccination also did not increase the risk of autism in children at higher risk for autism, such as those having an older father or a sibling with autism. Patients should be counseled to have their children vaccinated at 12-15 months and again at 4-6 years to protect against serious disease and reduce the spread of measles, mumps, and rubella.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Breastfeeding Month