A National Physician Survey of Perspectives on Deintensifying Diabetes Medications

This Medfyle was published more than two years ago. More recent Medfyle on this topic may now be available.

Key messages

• Deintensifying rarely occurs for older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D), despite many being tightly controlled with hypoglycemia-inducing medications.
• This national survey of 427 US physicians aimed to understand perspectives on deintensification for older adults with T2D.
• The vast majority view deintensifying diabetes medications as important to the care of older adults, although they accomplish this infrequently.
• Major barriers were physicians’ views that patients were reluctant to change medications or to allow their glucose to be higher.
• Adverse events, especially hypoglycemia, were strong facilitators, as was reducing cost of therapy.
• Geriatricians reported deintensifying more often; endocrinologists switched more often than other specialties and were more concerned about short-term hyperglycemia.