ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to compare the drug therapy profile between French older adults with diabetes of the GERODIAB cohort and Brazilian older adults with diabetes assessed in a cross-sectional study conducted in Brazil. METHOD: This quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 246 Brazilian people aged 65 and over receiving care through the Unified Health System in the city of Fortaleza, Northeastern Brazil, who were compared to a sample of 987 French people aged 70 and over receiving care the Rouen University Center in France. RESULTS: The French participants treated for type 2 diabetes (T2D) with insulin alone, insulin + oral hypoglycemic agent (OHA) or OHA/GLP-1 analogue were older and presented higher mean values for body mass index, waist circumference and duration of diabetes in years. The French reported more episodes of hypoglycemia in all treatment modalities. These episodes occurred more frequently in the older adults treated with insulin alone and less frequently in those treated with OHA or GLP-1 analogues. The percentage of Brazilian and French older adults who monitored capillary blood glucose differed significantly in all treatment modalities. CONCLUSION: The significant differences relating to the drug therapy modalities used by Brazilian and French older adults with diabetes point to the importance of understanding the therapeutic objective of drug therapy with older adults with diabetes. Adapting the therapy to the patient's clinical conditions can prevent the worsening of comorbidities that influence the loss of autonomy and frailty.
