From the Contributor
Our chapter contribution examines how the immune system ages and why that process matters for people living with diabetes. As the body grows older, its immune defenses undergo a gradual but consequential transformation: the reservoir of fresh immune cells diminishes, worn-out cells accumulate, and a state of persistent low-grade inflammation—termed “inflammaging”—takes hold. The net result is an immune system that is simultaneously overactivated in aberrant ways and underequipped where it is most needed.
Chronically elevated blood sugar accelerates immune deterioration, disrupting the signaling networks that coordinate immune responses and impairing the cellular machinery on which immune cells depend. A compromised immune system further undermines the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, creating a self-reinforcing cycle that is difficult to interrupt and costly in its long-term consequences.
Can targeting the aging immune system offer new avenues for managing diabetes in older adults? We survey an emerging class of interventions, including agents designed to eliminate dysfunctional immune cells and recalibrate inflammatory signaling, that may complement existing diabetes treatments in ways not yet fully appreciated. We argue that immunological aging deserves a more central place in clinical thinking about diabetes, particularly as the population pyramids across the Global South continue to invert.
Edited and contributed to entirely by scholars from the Global South, the volume as a whole brings into focus dimensions of the diabetes-aging nexus that have remained marginal in Western-dominated scientific discourse: the particular vulnerability of people across the region shaped by distinct host genetic profiles; the accelerating prevalence of metabolic disorders in rapidly developing economies; the overlapping burden with communicable disease while healthcare infrastructures remain stretched; the therapeutic potential of phytochemicals that have long been part of South and Southeast Asian life; and the public health affordances most germane to these contexts. In this sense, the book is as much an act of epistemic reorientation as it is a medical textbook. (Youdiil Ophinni)
Contents
Front Matter, Copyright, Contributors, About the Editors, Preface
1 Introduction to the Interplay between Aging and Diabetes 1
Younis Ahmad Hajam and Rajesh Kumar
2 The Cellular and Molecular Pathophysiology of Diabetes in Aging 15
Namrata Namrata, Poonam Mundlia, Arup Giri, et al.
3 Insulin Resistance in the Aging Population: Mechanisms and Consequences 33
Rajesh Kumar, Divya Rana, and Ankita Thakur
4 Diabetes Complications in Aging: “A Vicious Cycle” 45
Diksha Negi, Deepali Sambyal, Kasahun Gudeta, et al.
5 The Role of the Immune System in Diabetes and Aging 57
Deepali Sambyal, Diksha Negi, Kasahun Gudeta, et al.
6 The Gut Microbiome and Metabolic Health in Aging 67
Sandhya Sharma and Geeta Jiwatram Gautam
7 Cognitive Decline and Neurodegenerative Risk in Diabetes and Aging 79
Janvi Sharma, Pooja Devi, Chinmoyee Maharana, et al.
8 Frailty, Sarcopenia, and Diabetes: Managing Physical Decline 91
Younis Ahmad Hajam, Neelam Bhatti, Seema Rai, et al.
9 Psychosocial and Mental Health Challenges in Aging Diabetic Populations 111
Harun Aslan
10 Innovations in Technology and Therapeutics for Diabetes Management in Older Adults 123
Sanzia Mehjabin and Md. Khokon Miah Akanda
11 Mechanistic Pathways Linking Aging and Insulin Resistance in Diabetes Mellitus 137
Aksh Sharma, Ishan Pandey, and Chetna Sharma
12 Herbal Approaches for Managing Diabetes in Aging Populations 149
Suresh Kumar, Arti Devi, and Rajesh Kumar
13 Public Health Strategies and Policy Interventions for Aging Populations with Diabetes 159
Heena Qadir, Javid Manzoor, Khursheed Ahmad Wani, et al.
14 Drug Discovery and Development in Geriatric Diabetes Care 177
Ajmal Rashid Bhat, Sumeer Ahmed, Nargis Manzoor, et al.
15 Emerging Role of Novel Candidates for Diabetes Mitigation 185
Avisek Banerjee, Rajarshi Chattopadhyay, Triparna Sen, et al.
16 Complementary Medicine and Diabetes-Induced Cellular Stress and Aging 197
Gabriela Tataringa and Ana Maria Zbancioc
17 Diabetes Management: Facts and Myths 209
Rajesh Kumar, Ankita Thakur, and Younis Ahmad Hajam
18 Side Effects of Current Pharmacology and Innovations 217
Neha Salaria, Indu Kumari, Rajesh Kumar, et al.
19 Comparative Assessment of Aging and Diabetes in Women and Men 235
Rahul Kumar, Miti Jerang, Pranay Punj Pankaj, et al.
20 Natural Remedies for Diabetes Management: Benefits and Drawbacks 263
Javid Manzoor, Kowser Jan, Bilal Ahmad Wani, et al.
21 Endocrinological and Pathophysiological Perspectives of Diabetes in Aging 281
Zahid Ahmad Wani, Asvene Kumar Sharma, Shuja Malik, et al.
22 Nanotechnology-Based Approaches for Diabetes Management:
Immune Cell Interaction and Artificial Intelligence Advancements 293
Amulya Jindal, Deepak Tomar, Sudhir Kumar Pal, et al.
23 Diabetes, Aging, and Management Strategies 321
Subir Chandra Dasgupta
24 Lifestyle Interventions: Exercise, Nutrition, and Diabetes Prevention in Aging 331
Mehjabin Sanzia, Md. Khokon Miah Akanda, Mosaddik Ashik, et al.
25 Immune-Targeted Therapies: Management of Diabetes and Fostering Healthy Aging 347
Firzan Nainu, Youdiil Ophinni, Sukamto S. Mamada, Nadila Pratiwi Latada
Index 379