The American Diabetes Association’s 79th Scientific Sessions begins today at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA.
The annual meeting brings together diabetes professionals from all over the world for five days of comprehensive, unparalleled education through symposia, mini-symposia, oral presentations, poster presentations, professional interest group discussions, and special lectures and addresses. In all, the meeting features more than 180 sessions and more than 2,000 original research presentations.

ADAMeetingNews.org spoke to Jose C. Florez, MD, PhD, Chair of the 79th Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee, who highlighted several sessions in this year’s program that he’s particularly excited about. One of those is the symposium Major Advances and Discoveries in Diabetes—The Year in Review, which will begin at 2:15 p.m. Monday in N-Hall E (North, Exhibition Level).

“Year-in-review sessions usually speak only to like-minded colleagues. We are crossing the traditional boundaries with one presentation for basic scientists to learn about new clinical developments in diabetes, and one directed toward clinicians to learn how science has progressed from the fundamental perspective,” said Dr. Florez, Chief of the Endocrine and Diabetes Unit and the John T. Potts, Jr., MD, Endowed Chair in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Diabetes Research Group at the Broad Institute.

Collaboration is always key in diabetes. That’s why the ADA partners with other societies, including the American Society of Nephrology and the American College of Cardiology, for joint symposia that also cross conventional boundaries.
First up is the Joint ADA/ACC Mini-Symposium—Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Diabetes, which will begin at 11:30 a.m. Friday in N-Hall E (North, Exhibition Level). The Joint ADA/ASN Symposium—Cardiovascular and Renal Protection in Diabetes—Beyond SGLT2 Inhibitors and GLP-1 Receptor Agonists will follow at 8:00 a.m. Sunday in N-Hall E (North, Exhibition Level). These sessions will focus on the latest findings in SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists.
A growing body of evidence is pointing to nontraditional organs such as the brain and the gut as important contributors, even drivers, of diabetes. The Sunday symposium How Does Neuroscience Inform Our Care of Patients with Obesity? will explore links between the brain and other organs that contribute to diabetes. The two-hour session begins at 4:30 p.m. in W-2001 (West, Level 2).

Gastroenterology recognizes the gut epithelium and the microbiome as potential contributors to fatty liver disease and other metabolic disorders. A Tuesday symposium, Go With Your Gut—Intestinal Regulation of Metabolism, will explore emerging links between the microbiome, metabolism, and diabetes. The session will begin at 7:30 a.m. in S-208 (South, Level 2).

Opioids are another hot topic. Friday’s mini-symposium Opioids, Cannabinoids, and Other Potentially Addictive Therapies in Painful Diabetic Neuropathy will explore when to use specific therapies and when they should be avoided. The session begins at 11:30 a.m. in S-153 (South, Upper Mezzanine Level).

Other program highlights include three Saturday symposia: ADA Nutrition Therapy for Adults with Diabetes—2019 Consensus Statement; Precision Medicine in Diabetes Mellitus; and the Joint ADA/EASD Symposium—From Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) to Functional Impact in the Beta Cell.

“We all tend to stick with our own peer group, but we all know that diabetes requires a multidisciplinary approach,” Dr. Florez said. “It’s great to be in a place where physicians, diabetes educators, PhD scientists, industry, advocates, and many others come together to network, hear each other, and get a full flavor of the diabetes ecosystem.”