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What's new in diabetes management - highlights from the Canadian Diabetes Association 2014 conference
Each year the Canadian Diabetes Association hosts its Professional Conference and Annual Meetings. This year, the conference was held in Winnipeg, a city rich with local talent in the areas of diabetes care and research.
Understanding type 2 diabetes in children has been a lifetime passion for Dr. Heather Dean, a pediatric endocrinologist, who opened the conference by discussing the evolution of type 2 diabetes in youth and helped those in attendance understand the implications and complications of diagnosis at such a young age. The prevalence and rate of progression of complications in youth diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is staggering and, sadly, their outcomes are poor. This is a call to action to screen high-risk children and to provide age-appropriate care. A session led by another group of Winnipeg physicians – Drs. Elizabeth Sellers, Brandy Wicklow and Jon McGavock – provided insight into the management of this group and specifically the role that increased exercise can play.
Does early good glucose control in type 1 diabetes matter? More than ever! Dr. Bernard Zinman, an endocrinologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, in Toronto, has spent the last 40 years of his career involved in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial for type 1 diabetes. He showed us eloquently that it is important to achieve good control early in the course of the disease; the results of this trial show us that, later in life, the risk of heart disease continues to decrease in intensively treated people, compared to the standard treatment group. Early glucose control in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes protects your heart, your eyes, your kidneys and your nerves. It is worth it to work hard at your diabetes, as the dividends pay off much later!
Should diabetes and obesity be controlled by medical management, surgical management, or both? We know that diabetes can be reversed with certain types of gastric bypass surgery, but surgery must be done along with medical management of diabetes, not alone. Success will be determined by the ability to adhere to lifestyle changes, with or without the help of surgery!
Diabetes is a disease that involves the whole person, as well as their family and friends. Many sessions at the conference helped healthcare providers think beyond their typical approaches to diabetes and to understand the emotions related to diabetes – for example, diabetes distress and mental health issues – that can be barriers to diabetes self-care. Having important conversations with people affected by diabetes and their families can help break down some of these barriers and provide them with the support they need.
Exercise, healthy eating, healthy body weight, eye health, foot health, heart health, and many other topics were also discussed and debated; as well, insights into new treatment guidelines to help people living with diabetes were offered.
It takes a team – not just a medical team – but a team led by the person with diabetes, and supported equally by family, friends and medical specialists, to manage diabetes. Just as it takes a team, led by Jennifer Jones, to win the gold medal for women’s curling at the recent Olympic Games held in Sochi. Jennifer gave an inspirational talk at the conference that reminded us of the power of teamwork and, importantly, the support the team receives. Yes, there needs to be a team leader, someone in the centre, someone who takes charge … just like someone living with diabetes.
