The elderly are generally vulnerable to adverse effects of drugs owing to physical and physiological changes associated with aging.
Diabetic drugs for the elderly should be selected judiciously in order to achieve good glycemic control while avoiding serious adverse effects.
To assure efficacy and safety, selected drugs should possess the following properties:
1. Have a short half life and be rapidly inactivated but without active metabolites such as 1st generation sulfonylurea tolbutamide; 2nd generation sulfonylurea Glipizide; Metiglinide Repaglinide and Nateglinide.
2. Short duration of action to minimize hypoglycaemic episodes eg glipizide and repaglinide.
3. Possess low propensity to cause hypoglycemia . . .
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