Does glucose tolerance affect quality of life in an elderly population?

The aim of the present study was to describe the associations between glucose tolerance and quality of life in an unselected non-institutionalised elderly population aged 73 years or over (n=259, of whom 93 were men). Diabetes was assessed on the basis of self-reports and 2-h oral glucose tolerance tests (1985 WHO criteria). Quality of life was evaluated with the Nottingham Health Profile instrument (NHP). A greater proportion of the previously diagnosed diabetic patients reported to have problems on all the three energy items, on nearly all the physical mobility items and on half of the pain items compared to the subjects with undiagnosed diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or normal glucose tolerance. The results of the second part of the NHP were in line with those of the first part, showing that more of the persons with previously diagnosed diabetes had problems on the following items: jobs around the house, hobbies and holidays compared to the other study groups. As for the six quality of life dimensions in the first part of the NHP, the previously diagnosed diabetic persons scored clearly higher on the energy, pain and physical mobility dimensions of the NHP compared to all the other subjects. To conclude, elderly subjects with previously diagnosed diabetes had a poorer quality of life compared to those with undiagnosed diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance or normal glucose tolerance.