Vina Rahmatina; Urip Pratama; Mansuriza Mansuriza
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a degenerative disease commonly experienced by the elderly and requires proper treatment to prevent complications. One traditional treatment alternative used to lower blood sugar levels is bay leaf decoction. This study aimed to determine the effect of bay leaf decoction on reducing blood sugar levels among the elderly in Peuniti Village, Baiturrahman District, Banda Aceh City. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a one-group pretest-posttest approach. The sample consisted of 15 elderly participants selected from a population of 87 elderly individuals. Data collection was conducted by measuring blood sugar levels before and after administering bay leaf decoction once daily for 7 days. Blood sugar levels were checked using a blood glucose meter 20 minutes after consumption. Data were analyzed using a dependent t-test. The results showed that before treatment, all respondents (100%) were categorized as having DM, with an average blood sugar level of 211.0 mg/dL. After treatment, all respondents (100%) were categorized as non-DM, with an average blood sugar level of 160.4 mg/dL. Statistical analysis showed a significance value of 0.004 (p < 0.05), indicating that bay leaf decoction significantly reduced blood sugar levels in the elderly.