Diabetes Awareness Month: Abu Dhabi Summit Explores Treatment Advances

In his keynote address, Dr. Mohammed Al-Khatib, conference chair, medical director and consultant of internal medicine, diabetes and endocrinology at HealthPlus Endocrinology and Diabetes Center, said: “It was an honor for me to welcome delegates to the conference today and as always. I am impressed by the caliber of attendees. Today’s sessions saw lively discussions and new and innovative ideas conveyed.”

Professor Maha Barakat, Deputy Minister of Health and Life Sciences at the Ministry of External Affairs, said: “This is an important annual event aimed at informing the diabetes community about the latest developments in diabetes healthcare, covering various aspects such as blood sugar control, complications, prevention and treatment, gestational diabetes and care for patients of all ages.”

He added, “During my presentation, I will provide an overview of the most recent guidelines consistent with the American Diabetes Association’s standard of care, which were released in January of this year.”

The day also featured four parallel workshops that gave attendees the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge from experts in the field. These workshops focused on type 1 diabetes clinic cases, type 2 diabetes clinic cases, and obesity and lipid clinic cases.

Professor Karim Meeran, Professor of Endocrinology at Imperial College London, UK, chaired a debate on the role of technology versus pharmacology in the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the age of twins.

Meanwhile, Professor Kevin Murphy, Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Imperial College London, UK, shared his experience on how dietary choices can affect the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

He said: “Our current focus is primarily aimed at investigating diabetes prevention through dietary manipulation rather than pharmaceutical intervention. In this sense, we have generated an important body of research that identifies beneficial foods for glucose control.”

The professor continued: “This research has the potential to play a preventive role in the development of metabolic diseases in the future. Additionally, we have conducted studies right here in Abu Dhabi to understand how protein intake can improve insulin production and subsequently help in the control of blood glucose levels. This work has found that the protein response is intact in people with intolerance to fasting glucose, who are at risk of developing diabetes, and may therefore be useful in reducing their risk of future disease.

“Our aspiration for the future is to empower patients to make informed dietary decisions that can effectively control glucose levels, potentially preventing diabetes and mitigating the risk of metabolic diseases.”

Dr Adam Buckley, Consultant Endocrinologist and Diabetologist at Imperial College London Diabetes Center Abu Dhabi, discussed glucose control and goal setting, especially in situations where HbA1c measurement may be unreliable in the Gulf population .

Dr Mustafa Khan, medical director of the Diabetes Center at Imperial College London, said: “The Diabetes Center at Imperial College London is collaborating with the HealthPlus Diabetes and Endocrinology Center to bring the healthcare community an exciting conference on the latest developments. in diabetes care. As the nation’s leading diabetes expert, we are proud to host this event to support the acceleration of best diabetes management practices. “Through our affiliation with Imperial College London, we are delighted to have renowned international experts joining us in this effort and are eager to see how the sessions presented at the conference will translate into real-life success stories.”

Dr Tarek Faid, Consultant Endocrinologist at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City Abu Dhabi, focused on the importance of early A1C measurement and weight management in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, with special emphasis on tirzepatide.

To conclude the day’s discussion, Dr Lyndon Marc Evans, Consultant Diabetologist at Cardiff University in the UK, gave his presentation on the interconnectivity of cardio-renal metabolic conditions, citing the latest clinical evidence to underline the importance of comprehensive care.

The second day of the conference covers topics such as the prevention and treatment of diabetic kidney disease and a comprehensive view of diabetes from an endocrine perspective.