Otiniano ME et al. – Prevalence of poor glycemic control is very high in this population with very high and rising prevalence of diabetes.

• Data are from the 5th wave (2004-05) of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H-EPESE).
• A total of 2,069 Mexican Americans aged 75 and over were interviewed.
• Six hundred eighty nine subjects (33.5%) reported having been diagnosed with diabetes and 209 (30.3%) subjects agreed to a blood test of their HbA1c level.

• Of the 209 diabetic subjects with an HbA1c test, 73 (34.9%) had good glycemic control (HbA1c <7%) and 136 (65.1%) had poor glycemic control (HbA1c >7%).
• Bivariate analysis revealed that subjects with poor control had longer disease duration, had lower education, used the glucometer more frequently, and had more diabetes-complications when compared to those in the good glycemic control group.
• Multivariable logistic regression analysis found the following factors associated with poor glycemic control: <8 years of education, foreign-born, smoking, obesity, longer disease duration, daily glucometer use, and having macro-complications.