Upcoming Gathering to Advocate for Glycemic Outcomes Beyond A1C

By Emily Fitts

The diaTribe Foundation convenes key diabetes experts to discuss glycemic outcomes beyond A1C on July 21,  2017, in Bethesda, MD

On July 21, 2017, The diaTribe Foundation will gather leaders in diabetes to reach consensus on and advocate for a greater focus on glycemic outcomes beyond A1C. The gathering is bolstered by a growing movement to encourage the FDA to regulate outcomes that matter to people living with diabetes on a daily basis.

Currently, the FDA and many payers consider A1C, which reflects average blood glucose levels over a two-to-three-month period, as the “gold standard” to assess diabetes therapy. Many people with diabetes, clinicians, and experts, however, believe that A1C does not sufficiently account for the long-term and short-term risks that people with diabetes face, such as low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), and changes in blood sugar during the day (glycemic variability). For more on A1C and the significance of considering outcomes beyond A1C, see our article that explains why A1C is not enough.

Glycemic Outcomes Beyond A1C: Standardization and Implementation

The diaTribe Foundation’s gathering, “Glycemic Outcomes Beyond A1C: Standardization and Implementation,” will build upon the effort to reach international consensus regarding outcomes beyond A1C. Many diabetes thought leaders and organizations will participate, including AACE, ADA, ATTD, EASD, EMA, Endocrine Society, FDA, IHSG, and JDRF.

The main objective of the July 21st gathering will be to reinforce that A1C is necessary but not sufficient in considering the experiences of people with diabetes. The meeting will address specific definitions for other glucose metrics, as well as related terminology and steps necessary to educate and implement the agreed-upon metrics.

This meeting builds upon two key prior meetings. In November 2014, The diaTribe Foundation helped bring together patient advocates in the diabetes community and the FDA with the “FDA-Patient Dialogue on Unmet Needs in Diabetes” event, which highlighted the challenges people with diabetes face every day. In August of 2016, The diaTribe Foundation team and diaTribe readers participated in a public workshop hosted by the FDA called “Diabetes Outcome Measures Beyond Hemoglobin A1C,” which brought together over 900 people with diabetes, patient advocates, manufacturers, healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers.

Click here to register for the event!

Watch the Meeting Live!

The gathering will be primarily attended by regulators, diabetes researchers, health care providers, and manufacturer leaders; however, we encourage you to participate in the meeting by watching the live-stream of the entire day.

We are so grateful to all of our sponsors for helping make this event possible! 

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The Apple Pickers Foundation

Please note that The diaTribe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, retains strict independence for all its programs, including written material and advocacy initiatives, to promote the best interests of people with diabetes. Nonetheless, these efforts would not be possible without the generosity of our donors – thank you!