Diabetes seniors better chances in heart bypass

Tue, 24 Mar 2009
According to a report about elderly people and diabetes, those elderly patients suffering from the condition are likely to fare better during heart bypass surgery than by having angioplasty.

For people without diabetes, the two procedures record a smaller difference in results. A research team from Stanford University in California found that diabetic seniors aged between 65 and 76 were less likely to die during bypass surgery.

Of the 7,800 patients reviewed for the trial, older people with diabetes were found to be 30 per cent less likely to die following bypass surgery as opposed to angioplasty. For younger patients, the opposite reaction is true. The report was published in a recent volume of the medical journal, The Lancet .

Diabetes in the elderly can be more dangerous as the complications of diabetes often worsen over time. People with diabetes who closely monitor blood sugar levels and avoid fluctuations are less likely to face diabetes complications at any stage of their condition .

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