Global Diabetes Summit Attracts World-Renowned Experts

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Ohio State University Medical Center has invited diabetes experts from around the world to present their latest research on global prevention, diabetes technology, cellular and tissue therapies, islet cell therapy, pharmacology, pregnancy and cardiovascular disease and other topics at one of the largest conferences of its type.

The Global Diabetes Summit scientific event will take place on Nov. 30, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and on Dec. 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., at the Hilton Columbus at Easton. Approximately 500 health care professionals from around the world will be in attendance.

To obtain complete information about the summit's program and other speakers' presentations, go to: http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/go/diabetessummit.

The newest developments in diabetes research will be presented by internationally recognized experts, including:

Dr. Pierre Lefebvre will discuss the global diabetes pandemic, focusing on the threat to cardiovascular health and the impact on world economies. He will review recent interventions in diabetes prevention, emphasizing the difficulties in modifying lifestyle. The current strategy of the International Diabetes Federation against the diabetes epidemic will also be summarized.

Lefebvre is chairman of the board of directors of the World Diabetes Foundation and former president of the Belgian Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. He is a widely published author of more than 25 books and 900 papers, as well as serving on editorial boards of more than 20 international journals. The majority of his research focuses on the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Dr. Sandeep Gupta's presentation will focus on the role of obesity and modern lifestyles as they relate to the global cardiovascular pandemic. He will discuss the current and projected health statistics and dangerous risk factors, including the impact of an unhealthy diet, cigarette smoking and the lack of exercise.

Gupta is chairman of the British Heart Foundation Strategy Committee on Heart Disease in Ethnic Minorities, regional patron of the South Asian Health Foundation and the 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for Clinical and Academic Cardiology. His research focuses on the role of ethnicity in coronary heart disease.

Dr. Silva Arslanian will present new data describing how underlying factors correlate with the biological and physical manifestations of youth Type 2 diabetes. She will also discuss how the presence or absence of pancreatic autoantibodies impacts cell function, as well as clinical characteristics in children with this particular disease.

Arslanian is the Richard L. Day professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the NIH-funded Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Endocrine Fellows Foundation. Her research focuses on insulin resistance during childhood growth and development, racial differences in insulin sensitivity and secretion, obesity and childhood Type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Patrick Catalano's presentation will focus on gestational diabetes. Specifically, he will discuss the significant role that certain fat proteins play in contributing to the cause of gestational diabetes.

Catalano is chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at MetroHealth Medical Center and professor with tenure of reproductive biology at Case Western Reserve University, both in Cleveland. He has published more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals, multiple abstracts and several book chapters. He serves on the editorial boards of Diabetes and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism and is a reviewer for 24 other journals. His research interests include insulin resistance and glucose metabolism in pregnancy.

Dr. Xavier Pi-Sunyer's presentation will focus on research of a new system that appears to provide a treatment target for high-risk obese patients. His research has confirmed the positive effects that a particular drug has on obese adults. If approved by the FDA, this weight loss option could have a significant impact on obese adults with Type 2 diabetes.

Pi-Sunyer is the recipient of the Stunkard Prize for Research from the North American Association for the study of obesity and is Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Barcelona. He has written 300 articles for international peer-reviewed journals and contributed chapters to over 100 medical texts. He serves as the associate editor of Obesity Research and is a journal referee for 20 other professional journals. He has dedicated over 25 years of service to the American Diabetes Association, including serving as president, and was awarded the Banting Medal for Service in 1993. He has also served on numerous committees for the American Heart Association and as chair of the Obesity Committee. His research focuses primarily on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, obesity and diabetes.

In addition, OSU Medical Center will host a day-long community event on Dec. 1, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St. The event will feature panel discussions, workshops, screenings and exhibitions with diabetes-care professionals on-hand to answer questions. Program topics include the global diabetes epidemic and diabetes prevention and management. Health professionals will lead workshops including diabetes in children, oral medication updates, diabetes and heart disease, and dietary management. Also, a health expo will include products and services for individuals with diabetes. The event will include comments by Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman and State Sen. Ray Miller. To register online, go to: http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/go/diabetesevent.

Under the direction of Dr. Kwame Osei, OSU Medical Center's Diabetes Research Center provides innovative research, patient care and education programs focused on improving diabetes control, prevention and providing a cure for those who have the disease. The interdisciplinary center conducts clinical trials and performs basic research associated with islet cell, pancreas and kidney transplantation.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, there are approximately 250 million people worldwide afflicted with diabetes and half of these individuals have not been diagnosed with the disease. More than 90 percent of these individuals have Type 2 diabetes.

Between 2005 and 2014, diabetes, heart disease and stroke combined will cost $556 billion in lost national income in China, $337 billion in India and $2.5 billion in Tanzania, according to The World Health Organization.