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:Diabetes - more likely to develop heart disease or kidney disease but people with Diabetes are also at an increased risk of cancer. The risk is highest for liver, pancreatic, colorectal, endometrial, breast and bladder cancer.Just as Diabetes increases a person's risk for developing cancer, cancer may make a person more susceptible to Diabetes. Radiation therapy and immunotherapies that attacks cancer cells may also destroy cells that produce insulin. The reaction may lead to Type 1 Diabetes, an autoimmune disorder.Steroids medication to reduce nausea during chemotherapy raise blood glucose levels.What is Type 3c Diabetes?Prof. Suresh Chari (Professor and Deputy Chairman, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Nutrition, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA) discussed Type 3c Diabetes. Type 3c can happen when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin for the body. And we all need insulin to live. It allows the glucose in our blood to enter our cells and fuel our bodies. Type 3c Diabetes causes pancreas to stop producing the enzyme that is needed to digest food. Type 3c Diabetes can occur due to an illness or condition that affects the pancreas. Pancreas may not be able to produce the enzymes needed to digest your food. This is pancreatic exocrine insufficiency (PEI) and means that the pancreas isn't working properly. The signs to look out for can include sudden loss of weight, stomach pain, tiredness, frequently passing wind, diarrhoea, fatty or oily stools and hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose).Management of Type 3c Diabetes partly depends on the level of damage to the pancreas and the cause of the damage. Type 3c Diabetes can be managed with insulin injections or sometimes oral medications/tablets.Diabetes & Cancer: What is the missing link?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 how there is evidence to link Diabetes with some kinds of cancer. Cancer develops when mutations to a cell's deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) causes the cells to grow out of control.Hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) damages the body's DNA. The high glucose levels alter the structure of DNA and also suppress its normal repair functions. This may make the genome unstable creating an opportunity for cancer cells to grow. Not only are people with Diabetes - especially Type 2Management of dyslipidaemia in patients with Diabetes and CAD Dr Michael Chan (Specialist in Cardiology, Honorary Consultant Gleneagles Hong Kong Hospital, Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor, HKU) discussed ways to lower and manage dyslipidaemia.Dyslipidaemia refers to unhealthy levels of one or more kinds of lipid (fat) in your blood. Your blood contains three main types of lipid - high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides. If you have dyslipidaemia, it usually means your LDL levels or your triglycerides are too high. It can also mean your HDL levels are too low. LDL cholesterol is considered the bad type of cholesterol. That's because it can build up and form clumps or plaques in the walls of your arteries. Too much plaque in the arteries of your heart can cause a heart attack. HDL is the good cholesterol because it helps remove LDL from your blood. Triglycerides come from the calories you eat but don't burn right away.Triglycerides are stored in fat cells. They're released as energy when you need them. If you eat more calories than you burn, though, you can get a build- up of triglycerides. High LDL and triglyceride levels put you at a higher risk for heart attack and stroke. Low levels of HDL cholesterol are linked to higher heart disease risks.A simple blood test that checks levels of LDL, HDL, and triglycerides will reveal whether the levels are high, low or in a healthy range. The most commonly used medication to treat dyslipidaemia is a statin.Statins help reduce LDL levels by interfering with cholesterol production in the liver.For more information, visit: www.cdidiabetessummit.org

New Findings in Diabetes

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