In recent years, the global prevalence of diabetes has shown a continuous upward trend, leading to an increasingly heavy disease burden. Poorly controlled diabetes and its complications not only significantly reduce patients' quality of life but may also be life-threatening, while simultaneously posing severe challenges to socioeconomic development. In December 2024, based on the latest evidence-based medical findings, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) released the 2025 American Diabetes Association Standards of Care in Diabetes, which provide comprehensive updates to the integrated management strategies for diabetes, its complications, and comorbidities. This article interprets the key elements of these guidelines, aiming to offer the latest evidence-based references and practical guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.

According to the data of China's seventh national population census, the elderly population (≥60 years old) accounted for 18.7% of the total population in 2020. About 30%(78.13 million)of them suffer from diabetes mellitus, among which more than 95% have type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, current prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the elderly is unsatisfactory, and there is a tendency of weakening and negativity. Complications caused by poorly controlled blood glucose are the main risk factors jeopardizing the health and survival of the elderly. The Clinical Guidelines of Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Elderly in China (2022 Edition) that summarizes the domestic and foreign relevant guidelines and research on elderly diabetic patients, aims to establish and optimize the concept of prevention and treatment in the elderly with diabetes mellitus, promote the implementation of standardized measures of prevention and treatment, and constantly improve the overall management level of diabetes mellitus in the elderly. Therefore, it is necessary to interpret its important contents.