DRWF Events: What does the future look like for people living with diabetes? “It’s exciting!”

DRWF interviews from United Through Diabetes: Professor Partha Kar OBE FRCP, Consultant Endocrinologist Portsmouth Hospitals; NHS Trust National Specialty Advisor, Diabetes, NHS England; and GIRFT Co-lead, Diabetes, NHS Improvement.

Professor Partha Kar presented at United Through Diabetes in a special question and answer session.

We asked Professor Kar what the future looks like for people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

Professor Kar: “I think hybrid closed loop systems will become standard of care for people living with type 1 diabetes in the next three years.

“After that will be the fully closed loop system, which I think is coming fast and sharp. I think the NHS will pick it up.

“It is a bit like CGM. Around 10 years ago, most healthcare centres did not know what a CGM was, or did not know how to look at the numbers. Now you literally cannot run a department without it.

“I think a lot of research work is going into immunotherapy about prevention features and a lot of discussion will be happening. I think there is exciting work in stem cell research. It's exciting.“

I always look at these with a degree of cautious optimism, and I will say that from a policy point of view, because I think there is always hype around these things and it is important that it is tempered with cautious optimism.

“I'm sure there are plenty of people who were told the cure is just there, and it has never materialised. I don't think we should give false hope. But I think there's always good to have optimism about what is coming.

“Type 2 diabetes care will be interesting because I think the system probably isn't geared enough to do what needs to happen with type 2 diabetes is my honest opinion.

“I think type 2 diabetes is very squarely linked with issues such as deprivation and the rest of it, which we shall see how the government evolves and everything. I think that is a big area, which I do not think has been tackled enough – and it needs tackling.

“I think there needs to be more access to disease modifying drugs, which is different from glucose lowering drugs in type 2 diabetes.

“Conversation needs to be better in the type 2 diabetes world and the debates about diet will forever go on. I think that will go on till time immemorial. As to what's the best diet ever? But that's where the world of type 2 diabetes will go. Lots of disease modifying drugs moving in. My worry is whether it will happen evenly or not.”

Professor Kar added: “I have always said I wanted to change the face of type 1 diabetes care. If we can get the hybrid closed loop, which is, as I always say, is the best thing that science can provide at the moment beyond a cure and make that standard care, I think that would be a nice position to finish on.”

Thank you for listening to this Living With Diabetes special podcast report from United Through Diabetes 2024, presented by Claire Levy and brought to you by DRWF. 

Visit the DRWF United Through Diabetes Digital Hub for more information and resources from the day

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