The two day conference held on March 3rd and 4th was the first collaborative project between the Arizona Coordinating Body of the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AZAADE) and the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The Friday event geared for healthcare professions (HCP) had 58 attendees. The subject matter focused on the physiology of exercise and the importance of exercise in the management of not only type 2 diabetes but also Type 1 diabetes. Expert presenters talked on the difference of recreational exercise compared to competitive/endurance exercise to improve performance in athletes. The role of exercise in the child/adolescent athlete with Type 1 diabetes was also discussed. There was a detailed review of the goals of nutrition management for the active person with Type 1 Diabetes including nutrition advice to support goals for exercise. These topics were in line with the conference theme “Step Up to the Challenge.”
The Saturday event scheduled for 5 hours had 304 attendees including mostly family members, school teachers/nurses and diabetes advocates; all individuals in frequent contact with patients with Type1 diabetes. The day opened with a great update on the artificial pancreas. There was review on Pump and CGM technology, highlighting the role/impact in the management of type 1 diabetes. The agenda for the day also included presentations followed by discussions on Culinary and Integrative Medicine. Attendees expressed satisfaction with the programs, asking many questions to the expert presenters in inquest of knowledge.
We look forward to more collaboration between the Desert Southwest Chapter of JDRF and AZAADE. Thanks to the staff members and all the volunteers who worked in bringing this successful and educational program to our Arizona Community. Thank you to the Premier Sponsor Novo Nordisk for making this possible.