Attending ATTD 2023 as a diabetes advocate

The 16th International Conference on Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes (ATTD) was held in Berlin, Germany, on 22-25 February 2023. I was privileged to have been selected as one of the #dedoc° voices to attend the conference in person. #dedoc° supports people with diabetes to attend scientific conferences in order to be heard and become part of the decision processes that affect their treatments. ATTD 2023 hosted over 4,000 participants from 97 different countries and boasted of a programme that was both stimulating and enriching. 

#dedoc° voices attending ATTD 2023 in Berlin, Germany. Source: Heather Koga

#NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

I finally got to experience one of the extraordinary diabetes conferences hosted by ATTD, a world-class platform for clinicians and scientists to present, discuss and exchange insights on the most rapidly evolving areas of diabetes technology and treatments. Participants at this conference had access to information about innovations in diabetes medicines and treatments, the most cutting-edge technologies, as well as the most recent research in the treatments of diabetes.

There is a growing trend that recognises and acknowledges patients as experts and stakeholders on the conditions that affect them. I have lived with type 2 diabetes for almost 10 years and I have been a self-made patient advocate and expert on the condition in Zimbabwe for more than five years.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring, Resolving Hypoglycemia, Diabetes Technology: my ATTD highlights at a glance

ATTD’s format consisted of presentations and exhibitions on the latest research and diabetes technology. The presentations and industry sessions ran parallel to each other and were on a myriad of topics and themes. Some of the most interesting sessions I attended included:

• “The Use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring”,

• “Resolving Hypoglycaemia”,

• “Use of Diabetes Technologies for Women and Girls,”

• “Emerging Treatment Options for Obesity in Type 2 Diabetes,”

• “The Patient Perspective: What we wish you knew and Why”,

• “Technology for the Healthy Aging of Older People with Diabetes”,

• “The ATTD Yearbook session”,

• “Practical Issues in the Daily Life of People with Diabetes”,

• as well as the session on “Fighting Disparities.”

I enjoyed learning about a variety of new technologies, including emerging devices on glucose monitoring. The general takeaway from the conference was that the uptake of diabetes technologies leads to better clinical outcomes. Visits to the Exhibition Area and the Tech Fair gave me a general overview of the diabetes products, applications and services on offer from the different companies. I was able to do a comparison of competitive products and understand the key differences between them. I learnt new information about companies, products, and clinical research.

Some of the most popular products under discussion and on display included various types of insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). An insulin pump is a small device with the ability to deliver insulin both continually in the background and as single doses for carbohydrate intake, whereas a CGM is a device that continuously tracks and monitors a person’s interstitial blood glucose level throughout the day. Some of the popular pumps on exhibition included the Tandem, Ypsomed, Omnipod and Dana, while some of the popular brands of CGMs include the Dexcom G7, Freestyle Libre 3. 

Insulin pumps are still expensive and have a limited lifespan (average 4 years). More research is underway to enable the design of affordable insulin pumps that are accessible to more people living with diabetes particularly in lower income countries.

Accessing diabetes care and diabetes in women: a closer look at my top 3 ATTD sessions

One of the greatest lessons from this conference is that the involvement of people with diabetes (PWD) in clinical research and studies on treatment options, including new technologies and devices, is essential to the success of these studies. PWD play an important role in studies which includes providing data, testing the products and giving feedback on them. It’s important to include PWD in the design and all other aspects of the studies. Failure to do so leads to conclusions that do not translate into real life situations. It was noted in one session that people with diabetes are curious, interested, observant and invested in trying to find out on how to manage the condition they live with. #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs!

Another session that I found really interesting discussed disparities in access to diabetes care and treatments. People in low and middle-income countries often face challenges in accessing proper diabetes treatment and care. Factors arising from poverty, food insecurity, limited literacy and education, lack of or sporadic supply of electricity, limited internet access, limited access to medications, long distances to health centres and other psychosocial barriers all contribute to suboptimal health outcomes. In addition to this, myths and social stigma around having diabetes are often prevalent in these countries, which can make wearing diabetes devices difficult.

Furthermore, I enjoyed learning about the need for diabetes technology that is designed specifically for women and girls. The reasoning behind this is that, for the most part, women and men experience diabetes differently due to biological related sex differences, as well as gender differences brought about by sociocultural norms, environment, nutrition, lifestyles, stress and societal attitudes. Past research has proved that diabetes outcomes are not gender neutral, with women with diabetes, regardless of type, being less likely to reach their HbA1C goals compared to men. In addition to that, women are also less likely to achieve their targets for cholesterol and blood pressure compared to men. Common experiences, such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause, tend to be accompanied by decreased insulin sensitivities and increased incidences of hyperglycaemia. There is therefore a need to come up with technologies that address the unique treatment needs of women in their different life phases.

Find your tribe

On the whole, my experiences at ATTD were really awesome! I enjoyed meeting other #dedoc° voices from across the world. I felt welcomed, accepted, respected and understood. As we say, “find your tribe and love them hard”. In the exhibition hall, the exhibitors took the time to explain their products and were very generous with their information. The only downside, however, was having too many interesting sessions taking place at the same time, making it difficult to choose what to attend. I would recommend to anyone with diabetes to attend this conference in the future.

Did you attend ATTD 2023? Let us know your highlights in the comments.
Found this article insightful? Please spread the word and share it with your network.
This article was originally published on Diabetes Voice on 27 March 2023.