Which of the following clinical findings among older adults is most likely to be viewed as a normal part of aging?

A. Blood glucose levels in DKA are typically higher than in HHS: In fact, HHS usually presents with higher blood glucose levels than DKA—often exceeding 600 mg/dL, while DKA typically ranges from 250 to 600 mg/dL.

B. DKA involves significant ketosis and metabolic acidosis, while HHS typically does not: DKA is characterized by the breakdown of fats into ketones, leading to metabolic acidosis. HHS typically lacks significant ketosis because insulin levels, while low, are still sufficient to suppress ketogenesis.

C. DKA is more common in type 1 diabetes, while HHS is more common in type 2 diabetes: DKA usually occurs in individuals with type 1 diabetes due to absolute insulin deficiency. HHS is more often seen in type 2 diabetics who still produce some insulin but not enough to prevent severe hyperglycemia and dehydration.

D. None of the above: This choice is incorrect, as B, C, and E are valid differences between DKA and HHS.

E. HHS patients often have more severe dehydration than DKA patients: HHS leads to profound osmotic diuresis over a longer period, causing extreme dehydration. DKA progresses faster but with less total fluid loss compared to HHS.

A. Tubular necrosis: Tubular necrosis refers to the death of tubular epithelial cells in the kidneys, commonly due to ischemia or toxins. This is not the primary defect in Potter syndrome, which involves developmental abnormalities rather than acute tubular injury.

B. Renal hyperplasia: Hyperplasia means increased cell number leading to organ enlargement. Potter syndrome typically involves renal hypoplasia or agenesis rather than hyperplasia, so this is not consistent with the syndrome’s defect.

C. Renal failure: Potter syndrome primarily results from bilateral renal agenesis or severe renal dysplasia, leading to absent or nonfunctional kidneys and subsequent renal failure. The lack of functional kidneys leads to oligohydramnios and the characteristic features of Potter syndrome.

D. Renal metaplasia: Metaplasia refers to abnormal transformation of one differentiated tissue type into another. This process is not the main defect in Potter syndrome, which is related to kidney development failure rather than abnormal tissue differentiation.