Welcome to the ATTD 2023 Interactive Program

Abstract Body

Since the first clinical use of insulin, more than one hundred years ago, the face of diabetes has dramatically changed. Diabetes turns out to be a ‘hydra’ with many faces, with many pathophysiological routes, with many diagnostic paths and more importantly with many therapeutic opportunities. The last 20-30 years have seen an explosion in our knowledge and in our therapeutic approach of people living with diabetes, ranging from the introduction of novel insulins and novel technologies for measuring glucose and administering insulin, to the availability of direct organ protecting agents and disease modifying therapeutics, in particular in type 2 diabetes, but more recently also in type 1 diabetes. Research is moving on rapidly, with the promise of precision medicine for all just around the corner. In the whirlwind of progress, it will remain important to stay focused on what really matters: the quality of life of the person living with diabetes. For people to live longer and healthier lives, not only tools and techniques are important, but even more so education, motivation, accompaniment of the person living with diabetes. Making the person with diabetes a member of the multidisciplinary team will ultimately determine success. The way we communicate all the novelties and make them matter, really matter for those with diabetes, is crucial and we should never forget that there are as many faces to diabetes as there are people living with this disease. Importantly, we need to strive for an all-inclusive strategy in diabetes care: access to care should be there for all… independent on age, gender, where you are born in the world, your socio-economic status…. And probably that is the greatest challenge to be faced in the next years. A challenge however this community can and WILL overcome.