The ADA Sessions 2010

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What they mean for you and me

By Manny Hernandez

The American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions take place in a different city in the US every year. This year, some 17 thousand people gathered in Orlando, in spite of the record central Florida summer heat and humidity.

At the ADA sessions, lots of announcements are made in the way of “improved outcomes” (personally, I have never been able to relate much to the term “outcome”, but that’s a different topic), results from clinical trials and more. But what does the largest diabetes conference in the world mean for you and me, “little patients” who live with diabetes every day of our lives? The ADA Sessions give us a bit of a peek into what may lie ahead in terms of therapy.

For example, I had a chance to chat with a gentleman from a company that is currently taking a new inhalable ultra rapid-acting mealtime insulin called AFREZZA through the FDA. When will it be available is anyone’s guess, but the safety results they shared at ADA showed a reduced incidence of low blood sugar episodes and less weight gain in patients with type 2 diabetes. Too bad they are not developing a counterpart inhalable peakless basal insulin.

This year, most of the information I read and talked to people about was focused on type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk in general and, specifically, obesity. In the way of presentations, I was happy to see the promising results of the HEALTHY study by designed to moderate risk factors for type 2 diabetes in adolescents.

For people with type 1 diabetes, I was happy to learn that a functional and safe artificial pancreas is within sight. I had a chance to chat with two of the lead people involved in the project who put laid it out in simple terms for me and also shared some patient stories that will make you want to cry.

Was it all rosy in Orlando? No. There were disturbing things, like seeing live models sitting at the booth of one of the pharmaceutical companies for hours on end (I have no clue when they went to the restroom); or the “Actos Adventure” exhibit another company set up. It felt a bit like a Disneyland-type ride, something that hardly belongs at this type of event. These kinds of marketing gimmicks frankly disturb me: they make me wonder how much more could be accomplished (a cure, anyone?) if more funds were devoted to research. Perhaps a cure would become easier to find!

So, while we get an artificial pancreas or a cure for diabetes, I felt encouraged by meeting Keith Campbell, the longest continuous insulin pump user in the world. He has been wearing a pump since Feb.1, 1979 and is still going on strong. He was living proof that, in the end, in spite of the treatments, therapies and options available, ultimately it is up to you and me to manage our diabetes to live a long and healthy life.


Disclaimer
dLife's Daily Living columnists are not all medical experts, but everyday people living with diabetes and sharing their personal experiences. While their method of diabetes management may work for them, everyone is different. Please consult with your diabetes care team to find out what will work best for you.