The Association, through its Foundation, aims to fully improve the quality of care for patients
Diabetes mellitus represents a disease with a high clinical-care impact all over the world, associated with high healthcare costs. Modern treatment strategies make it possible to achieve adequate metabolic parameters, with benefits on the cardiac and renal systems. The perceived burden of the disease can potentially significantly affect the quality of life of people with diabetes. To this is added the real risk of incurring fearful episodes of hypoglycemia. Understanding the mechanisms that support the development of complications related to the disease and intercepting the risk factors as early as possible is one of the main objectives of the research activity. In this context, various projects are promoted by the Association of Diabetes Doctors (AMD) and its Foundation and many others are in the start-up phase.
Pregnancy
Some ongoing studies aim to improve the quality of care for pregnant women with diabetes, in order to reduce the risk of complications for both mother and baby. In particular, the MUSA study (Mis-Undiagnosed hyperglycemia in pregnancy) aims to estimate the prevalence of a congenital form of diabetes, defined MODY 2 (Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young), in women with impaired blood glucose during pregnancy. The study also aims to build and validate a predictive model to be applied to women with impaired blood glucose during pregnancy that identifies those to be subjected to the genetic test for MODY 2. This would allow to manage this form of maternal diabetes in a more adequate way. not confusing it with the forms that usually affect women with gestational diabetes or pre-gestational diabetes. The importance of investigating the role of risk factors in pregnancy underlined by another study underway concerning women with obesity. The study aims to analyze the effects of metabolic profiles of obese women on maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancy regardless of weight gain during pregnancy.
Genetics and clinic
Research in a broad sense embraces both purely clinical and genetic aspects. The sphere in which the GENIR studio operates is based on this principle. It concerns the study of the effects of a particular type of drugs defined GLP-1 receptor agonists (Gluagon-Like Peptide). In clinical practice, not all people treated with these drugs respond in the same way. The study, therefore, aims to investigate the clinical and genetic factors capable of explaining the different effects on weight and on the main cardiovascular risk markers in people treated with this type of drug.
AMD Annals
The flagship of the Association’s research activities is the AMD Annals. It is a program of continuous improvement of diabetic care, aimed at perfecting the quality of care offered to people with diabetes. Most of the Italian diabetes centers participate on a voluntary basis in a data collection program contained in the electronic medical record used routinely during diabetic visits. From the analysis some indicators are extrapolated that describe generic data (for example the number of visits performed, the number of patients assisted) and other indicators that report the main health outcomes (how many patients reach the recommended targets, how many develop complications related to illness). In addition to this, it is possible to have detailed information on the effects of drugs and technological devices used for diabetes. There are several research themes deriving from the analysis real world of such data.
Type 1 diabetes between pediatrician and adult
One of the most ambitious projects concerns the possibility of creating a single database grouping clinical information relating to type 1 diabetes mellitus, coming from the diabetes records of the pediatric diabetes centers and adult centers. The linkage of pediatric data with those of adults will make it possible to have one of the largest clinical databases at an international level. It will therefore be possible to study more carefully the phases of the natural history of the disease from its earliest manifestations. It will allow us to try to identify the risk factors of complications related to the disease and, hopefully, the predictors of the onset of the disease itself.
A look to the future
The trajectory of research in the field of diabetes is certainly conditioned by recent events. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has accelerated the possibility of using modern digital systems capable of assisting people with diabetes even at a distance. In this sense, telemedicine programs have been implemented in clinical practice and constitute an important applied research topic. The war in Ukraine has raised a possible critical issue represented by the care intended for migrant people with diabetes. In both of these areas, AMD is actively implementing research projects. The philosophy behind AMD’s clinical research is to improve the health outcomes and quality of life of people with diabetes. The results obtained may also be able to bring benefits to health systems and allow health policy makers to allocate more appropriate resources to the care of people with diabetes.
May 3, 2022 (change May 3, 2022 | 11:55)
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