[mom_video type=”vimeo” id=”565655433″]
[gap]

Five days of groundbreaking science begin today at the Virtual 81st Scientific Sessions.

“We have brought together the best and the brightest minds focused on diabetes research and diabetes care,” said ADA CEO Tracey D. Brown, MBA, BChE. “I’m proud of the work that has already been done, and I know the future is even greater. I am looking forward to more learning and discussing the groundbreaking research, science, and technology advances that are out there to help all people living with diabetes thrive while we continue to fight for the cure.”

The virtual meeting continues through June 29. If you are not yet registered, registration can be completed online and includes on-demand access to all virtual content until September 29.

“We’ve put together an exciting program featuring five days of cutting-edge science and the latest scientific achievements in the understanding of diabetes, as well as the management and care of the millions of people worldwide living with this disease,” said Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD, Chair of the 81st Scientific Sessions Meeting Planning Committee.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaped the format and programming of the meeting. The ability to connect virtually allows the Scientific Sessions to deliver the high-quality content the ADA is known for with the added convenience of logging in anywhere attendees have internet access. This year’s meeting builds on the first-ever virtual Scientific Sessions in June 2020 with additional opportunities for real-time interaction with speakers, exhibitors, and other attendees.

“People want to connect with each other,” said Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, ADA Chief Scientific and Medical Officer. “We’ve really enhanced the ability for people to interact together so they could get the most out of the meeting content, but also the important discussions that happen around the content.”

All sessions in the educational program have a chat function to facilitate comments and questions, and select sessions will feature live video Q&A discussions.

Several sessions will address the interplay of diabetes and COVID-19, including the ADA Diabetes Care Symposium on learning to minimize risks for people with diabetes during the pandemic. Speakers also will discuss public health and public trust, pregnancy, obesity, and pediatric issues as they relate to diabetes in the era of COVID-19.

The ADA has funded 10 grants to drive breakthrough research on the interaction of COVID-19 and diabetes, and Brown said she is thankful for the work toward understanding and treating this novel disease.

“I’m so very proud of all of the frontline workers, all of the ADA professional members—the doctors, the nurses, the educators, nutritionists, the researchers—who have all come together relentlessly to continue to focus on making sure that the care for people living with diabetes was there everywhere—whether that was through telemedicine, whether that was through the front lines, in the hospitals and clinics,” Brown said. “They have continued to show up like never before, with their No. 1 focus on helping people living with diabetes.”

Not coincidentally, telehealth is a recurring topic in this year’s Scientific Sessions program. Sessions will explore such issues as remote monitoring, equity, and reimbursement in the context of telemedicine.

Social determinants of health is another important topic this year. Sessions will touch on food and housing insecurity, the effects of the built environment, and the effects of structural violence and structural racism.

As an organization, the ADA has placed an emphasis on equity and health disparities research.

“The focus and urgency around research and advancing care has been no greater than it has been now,” Brown said. “This pandemic has just shined a very bright light on an existing health crisis in this country.”

The Year in Review session, an annual highlight of the Scientific Sessions, will examine the latest accomplishments in basic, translational, and clinical science. Results from several major trials also will be reported during the meeting, including:

• First Results of the Effect of Efpeglenatide on Cardiovascular Outcomes (AMPLITUDE-O) Trial;
• Efficacy and Safety of Dapagliflozin in Patients with and without Type 2 Diabetes Hospitalized with COVID-19—Results from the DARE-19 Global Randomized Controlled Trial;
• Results of the Glycemic Reduction Approaches in Diabetes—A Comparative Effectiveness (GRADE) Study;
• Tirzepatide—A Novel Dual GIP/GLP-1RA—Results from the First Phase 3 SURPASS Clinical Trials; and
• Update on SCORED and SOLOIST Cardiovascular and Kidney Outcomes Trials.

The 81st Scientific Sessions will feature more than 850 oral presentations and more than 1,000 ePosters.