Bayer HealthCare sponsored a symposium on managing prediabetes at the International Diabetes Federation’s 19th World Diabetes Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, on 3 December 2006. Jacqueline Dekker (Netherlands) explained that prediabetes is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). She also reviewed the findings of the Euro Heart Survey and China Heart Survey, which showed that dysglycaemia (prediabetes and type 2 diabetes) are common in individuals with established CVD.

The important role of simple risk-prediction tools, such as FINDRISC, in identifying individuals at high risk of developing diabetes and/or CVD was highlighted by Jaakko Tuomilehto (Finland). Early intervention in these high-risk individuals is essential to prevent disease development or reduce disease progression.

Robert Josse (Canada) summarised data from several prediabetes trials that investigated the effects of lifestyle modification and pharmacotherapy on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Acarbose (Glucobay® , Bayer HealthCare AG) is currently the only oral antidiabetes drug approved for the treatment of prediabetes. Evidence for the good efficacy and safety profiles of acarbose was reviewed by Jean-Louis Chiasson (Canada). He also presented data on the ability of acarbose to reduce the risk of developing diabetes in individuals with prediabetes, and discussed the additional cardiovascular benefits of acarbose in both individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

The symposium chairman, Rury Holman (UK), announced news of a new acarbose outcome trial in China and provided the rationale and details of the trial design. The placebo-controlled trial will assess the ability of acarbose to prevent recurrent cardiovascular events in patients with established CVD and prediabetes. A web-cast of the symposium is available at
www.diabetes-symposium.org.

Download Programme Satellite Symposium
(pdf, 165 KB)