A nurse is assisting in the care of an older adult client who has COPD and is receiving albuterol treatments and 20 mg of prednisone twice daily. The client asks why the nurse is checking his blood glucose level. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

A. "Albuterol treatments can cause blood glucose levels to decrease.": Albuterol is a beta-2 agonist that can actually cause mild hyperglycemia by stimulating glycogenolysis, not hypoglycemia. It is not the primary reason for routine glucose monitoring in this client. B. "Older adults are at risk for developing type 1 diabetes mellitus.": Type 1 diabetes typically develops in childhood or adolescence and is not age-related. Older adults are more at risk for type 2 diabetes, making this statement inaccurate. C. "Having COPD causes blood glucose levels to fluctuate.": COPD itself does not directly cause significant changes in blood glucose. Fluctuations are usually related to medications, stress, or comorbid conditions, not the pulmonary disease itself. D. "Prednisone can cause blood glucose levels to increase.": Corticosteroids like prednisone promote gluconeogenesis and reduce peripheral glucose uptake, leading to hyperglycemia. Monitoring blood glucose in clients receiving prednisone is important to detect and manage steroid-induced elevations.