How does aging affect the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar?

Aging affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar primarily by slowing the rate at which excess sugar is removed from the blood following ingestion. While fasting blood glucose levels typically remain normal in the elderly, the body requires more time to return to these levels after sugar intake compared to younger adults.123

This change is linked to alterations in the pancreatic islets, where the sensitivity of the pancreas is reduced; a higher level of blood sugar is required to stimulate the release of insulin. Although the pancreas remains capable of producing sufficient insulin under maximum stimulation, the body's overall response to insulin—which accelerates sugar removal—is diminished in the elderly.23

It remains a subject of debate whether these changes represent a normal aspect of the aging process or the early stages of diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, age-related shifts in body composition, such as increased fat deposition and reduced muscle mass, can heighten the risk of developing metabolic conditions like metabolic syndrome.124