Leading specialists to drill down on endocrine issues in UAE

Vitamin D comes under the spotlight when up to 120 medical specialists arrive in Abu Dhabi for a two-day conference at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC).

The high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among populations in the Middle East will be underlined, while the benefits of the latest state of the art, minimally invasive adrenal surgery will also be highlighted.

The second Clinical Update from the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), in collaboration with ICLDC, takes place over January 10-11. The programme will cover the most up-to-date thinking surrounding endocrinology and diabetes.

It features 20 international expert sessions, including the most recent take on diabetes guidelines from Professor Maha Barakat, Director General of Health Authority Abu Dhabi.

According to Karim Meeran, Professor of Endocrinology, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine and Chairman of ICLDC’s Medical Board, the programme will deliver a rigorous update on current clinical practice, research and thinking in the hormonal field, with a focus on their role in the prevalence of diabetes and related complications.

He says one important part of the conference will highlight the issue of vitamin D deficiency in the UAE and wider Middle East.

“Over many years vitamin D deficiency has been associated diabetes. Different studies provide evidence that vitamin D may play a functional role in glucose tolerance through its effects on insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity,” he said.

“Vitamin D deficiency is strikingly common in apparently healthy individuals. The conference sheds important light on why vitamin D affects the Middle East so severely,” he added.

Vitamin D deficiency will be one of 10 subjects addressed by key speakers in presentations delivered over two days.

Another key subject will discuss the latest advances in state of the art minimally invasive adrenal surgery.

Professor Meeran said it is important to highlight the recent advances in surgery which have helped to benefit patients.

“Surgery has come a long way in recent years and the latest techniques offer patients a speedier discharge from hospital after surgery, faster recovery and less pain.”

Meanwhile, Professor Philippe Bouchard, the ESE President and author of numerous published works on endocrinology, confirmed that the comprehensive programme is structured over 20 sessions - a combination of lectures and interactive workshops, including the latest thinking on hyperparathyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and state-of-the-art minimally invasive adrenal surgery.

Experts due to attend include the UK’s Professor Peter Trainer, Professor Martin Reincke from Germany and Norway’s Jens Bollerslev.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.