Low blood sugar in older people can cause dizziness and falls, sometimes leading to hospitalization. The Bruyère Research Institute Deprescribing Guidelines Research Team has developed a deprescribing guideline to help health care professionals and elderly patients minimize the risk of low blood sugar from diabetes medications. We took into account the need to individualize diabetes treatment targets in those who are frail, have dementia or are near the end-of-life.
Lead: Dr. Barbara Farrell, Bruyère Research Institute
Guideline development team: Manon Bouchard, Dr. Heather Lochnan, Dr. Lori MacCallum, Dr. Lisa McCarthy, Dr. Carlos Rojas-Fernandez, Dr. Salima Shamji, Wade Thompson, Dr. Ross Upshur, Dr. Vivian Welch
Funder (2015-2016): Michel Saucier Endowed Fund in Geriatric Pharmacology, Health and Aging
Publications:
- Farrell B, Black C, Thompson W, McCarthy L, Rojas-Fernandez C, Lochnan H, et al. Deprescribing antihyperglycemic agents in older persons. Evidence-based clinical practice guideline. Can Fam Physician 2017;63:832-43 (Eng), e452-65 (Fr).
- Black C, Thompson W, Welch V, McCarthy L, Rojas-Fernandez C, Lochnan H, Shamji S, Upshur R, Farrell B. Lack of evidence to guide deprescribing of antihyperglycemics: a systematic review. Diabetes Therapy 2016;8(1):23-31. Epub 2016 Dec 15. doi: 10.1007/s13300-016-0220-9
Additional links: