Older patients with diabetes who reach very low levels of HbA1c or blood pressure levels do not undergo deintensification often enough, according to a retrospective cohort study of nearly 212,000 individuals.

Participants were over 70 years of age and were being treated for diabetes.

Results in those being treated for elevated BP:

• More than half had moderately or very low BP levels.

• Among those whose BP was not low, 15.1% underwent deintensification.

• Among those whose BP was moderately low, 16.0% had their treatment deintensified.

• Among those whose BP was very low, nearly 19% underwent BP medication deintensification.

Results in those being treated for elevated HbA1c:

• Among those with HbA1c levels that were not low, 17.5% underwent deintensification.

• Among those with moderately low HbA1c levels, nearly 21% had their treatment deintensified.

• Among those with very low HbA1c levels, 27.0% underwent medication deintensification.

Citation: Sussman J, Kerr E, Saini S, et al. Rates of deintensification of blood pressure and glycemic medication treatment based on levels of control and life expectancy in older patients with diabetes mellitus. JAMA Intern Med. 2015;175(12):1942-1949.