Diabetes mellitus is now one of the major issues in health care, having been described as the “epidemic of the 21st century”. The prevalence is increasing at an alarming rate in both developed and developing countries, resulting in major morbidity and mortality from complications of the condition. It is a leading cause of blindness, renal failure and lower limb amputations, and a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, among other problems. Overall people with diabetes have significantly shorter life expectancy than their non-diabetic peers. The cost of treating diabetes and its complications now represents a major financial burden to health care systems around the world. At the same time, basic research into diabetes is providing a deeper understanding of disease mechanisms and potential treatments, and pharmaceutical companies are bringing new drugs to market. Clinical research is providing insights, sometimes conflicting, on how to treat people with diabetes. The challenge is how to put all this together in order to provide effective, deliverable and affordable care, and how to stem the tide of the diabetes epidemic. The Conference will start to address this challenge and focus on the translation of “cutting edge” diabetes research into practical clinical care, with a particular emphasis on the organization and delivery of care in different health systems. Updates and overviews will be given by invited speakers from around the world, together with workshop and debate sessions and submitted oral and poster presentations. The Conference is intended for all those involved in treating diabetes:
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