New Findings in Diabetes

Awareness and knowledge can help prevent health complications. Education plays an important role in informing people about the condition and how best to manage it through a healthy diet, regular exercise and necessary medication. This holds especially true for Diabetes which is a chronic condition caused by high blood sugar levels.

The 6th International Diabetes Summit (Virtual) - 2022 organised by Chellaram Diabetes Institute, Pune was one such attempt to make an impact in the field of Diabetes. The three-day summit witnessed numerous national and international dignitaries connect virtually and speak on the latest findings, techniques and technologies in the field of Diabetes - from clinical management to patient care, from the current challenges to the latest innovations in the world of Diabetes.

Following are some of the topics discussed during the three-day summit:

The 2022 LADA update

People with LADA are younger in age, have lower body mass index and typically need insulin treatment. Dr C.B. Sanjeevi (Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) discussed the 2022 LADA update.

Type 1 Diabetes occurs mostly in children. In adults, Type 1 Diabetes can be referred to as Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA). People with LADA may present with signs and symptoms of both Type 1

and Type 2 Diabetes, which why people with LADA are often misdiagnosed as having Type 2 Diabetes. A misdiagnosis can be life-threatening as oral medication is ineffective to manage blood sugar levels in people with Type 1 Diabetes. Therefore, a correct diagnosis is very important. A c-peptide test can help to determine if person has Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. C-peptide is made in the pancreas in equal amounts as insulin and both are secreted simultaneously from the pancreas. So, a c-peptide test helps to determine how much insulin is produced in the body. This determination is very important as people with Type 1 Diabetes and LADA require insulin to manage blood sugar levels and Type 2 Diabetes, which why people with LADA are often misdiagnosed as having Type 2 Diabetes. A misdiagnosis can be life-threatening as oral medication is ineffective to manage blood sugar levels in people with Type 1 Diabetes. Therefore, a correct diagnosis is very important. A c-peptide test can help to determine if person has Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes. C-peptide is made in the pancreas in equal amounts as insulin and both are secreted simultaneously from the pancreas. So, a c-peptide test helps to determine how much insulin is produced in the body. This determination is very important as people with Type 1 Diabetes and LADA require insulin to manage blood sugar levels

Non-Diabetes hypoglycaemia

Dr Pankaj Shah (Endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic, USA) spoke about diagnosing non-Diabetes hypoglycaemia (very low blood sugar level).

Hypoglycaemia (very low blood sugar levels) is life-threatening, if left untreated. Fasting and certain medications can cause very low blood sugar levels in people who do not have Diabetes. Insulin is responsible for lowering blood sugar levels. If insulin is being secreted, then insulin action will be seen

i.e. lowered blood sugar levels. Certain tests can help measure insulin levels in the body. Determining if insulin production is causing hypoglycaemia (as can occur rarely with insulin producing tumours) is important as treatment is determined accordingly.

Organ protective effects of metformin and beyond

Metformin has been in clinical use since 1958. Prof. Juliana Chan (Founding Director of the Hon Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity, and is a professor at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong)

spoke about organ protective effects of metformin and beyond.

Metformin has been known to lower lipid and blood sugar levels and improve inflammation. Metformin can help prevent or relieve heart diseases, weight gain, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and cancer.