Diabetes for the Internist

PRE – 1102
Diabetes for the Internist

The issues involved in the management of diabetes mellitus have become more complex and controversial as a result of recently completed large clinical trials. It is becoming apparent that strategies for management should differ depending on the characteristics of the patients and the stage of their diabetes. This pre-course will provide the internist with the latest information about the abnormalities that underlie the development and progression of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes and how these abnormalities influence therapeutic decisions. It will emphasize the rationale and current controversies for the practical application of newer treatment strategies and pharmacologic agents. It will discuss the role of newer treatments as compared with older and less costly generic treatments. Safety issues of antidiabetic agents relative to cardiovascular disease and cancer will be reviewed. The complex issue of prevention of diabetes, as well as the role of pharmacologic agents in decreasing β-cell apoptosis or even increasing β-cell mass, will be debated. The new field of matching genetic type with specific therapies will be presented. The emphasis throughout the course, where possible, will be on strategies to improve clinical outcomes rather than surrogate end points.