The American Diabetes Association and Eli Lilly have announced the recipients of the American Diabetes Association and Lilly Clinical Research Award: Diabetes Care in Older Adults, a three-year collaborative research program aimed at better understanding diabetes care in older adults. The program, made possible through $1.2 million in funding from Lilly Diabetes, is awarding two clinical grants that will be directed, managed and overseen by the Association.

It currently is estimated that approximately 25% of people aged 65 and older in the U.S. have diabetes and the prevalence is expected to grow as the population ages. Diabetes in older adults can lead to increases in morbidity (including the characteristic complications of diabetes), decreased functional and mental status and reduced life expectancy. While substantial evidence exists that lowering blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol can reduce the risk of diabetes complications, older adults have often been excluded from or under-represented in studies that led to this evidence. The aim of this research initiative is to identify the safest and most effective means of addressing diabetes management in older adults.

“The number of people affected by diabetes is increasing, and people are living longer with the disease, so it’s particularly important to investigate new ways in which to manage an ever more diverse population with diabetes,” said Robert Heine, vice president, medical affairs, Lilly Diabetes.

The grants will be three-year awards starting in early 2014. The award recipients are:

• Guillermo E. Umpierrez, M.D., of Emory University School of Medicine, located in Atlanta. With this grant, Umpierrez will conduct a randomized, controlled study, which will compare a DPP4 inhibitor (linagliptin) and a basal insulin (glargine) in long-term care residents who have type 2 diabetes.
• Dennis T. Villareal, M.D., of the Biomedical Research Institute of New Mexico (BRINM), located in Albuquerque. Villareal’s research will investigate a lifestyle intervention strategy to treat diabetes in older adults.

Throughout the years, the Association has funded innovative and groundbreaking diabetes research and has invested approximately $640 million in nearly 4,000 research projects. The Association’s research allows people to lead healthier and more productive lives every day.