Preface

Abstract

The first ATTD 2009 Yearbook presented in February 2010 in Basel was an attempt to create a recognisable appearance to the rapidly developing field of advanced technology and treatment of diabetes, packed with condensed information covering the best research and knowledge as appreciated by the associate editors and the editors. Looking from the distance of a year, the ATTD 2009 Yearbook was a success! It found its way into the hands of clinicians, diabetes educators, researchers in academic institutions, medical departments in international corporations as well as many people interested in diabetes. Its availability on the ATTD webpage and recently in PubMed facilitated access to practically anyone interested in the field. Work on the present ATTD 2010 Yearbook was therefore seasoned with additional responsibility to match the quality and warm acceptance of the first one. Hundreds of papers published between July 2009 and June 2010 were stimulating and made the endeavour worthwhile. The associate editors' mission was to choose articles that have the most important contribution for the understanding the mechanisms, for the way of thinking, for changing the existing concepts of the clinicians in the specific field that may lead to changing of their way of treating their patients. They were asked to relate also to papers which are more of basic science but which are arising hope for new treatments, even if still quite preliminary. It is not only to highlight them but also to assist the reader to understand why these articles are important and how it can influence the future outlook. The volume is broadened by two new chapters: ‘Diabetes technology and treatment in the paediatric age group’ and ‘Diabetes technology and the human factor’ in addition to the overviews on new drugs and means of delivery, glucose measurement and sensing, the help of information technology, immunomodulation, and type 2 diabetes, diabetes in pregnancy, and closed-loop delivery. Short summaries of selected original papers with comments from the associate editors and editors again bring an expert insight to every specific topic. The reader might notice that in some cases the same paper is discussed in various chapters by different associate editors, highlighting different aspects of the research and its contribution. It is our sincere wish that the ATTD 2010 Yearbook will facilitate the transfer of scientific knowledge and original research to the medical community that strives to assist people with diabetes in their daily struggle to manage the disease. We believe it will foster active communication among all partners in the field of diabetes, from the routine clinical environment, academic institutions, the industry and most importantly – people with diabetes. Finally, we hope the ATTD 2010 Yearbook will help in uniting the tremendous efforts of all partners in finding best solutions to improve life with diabetes and to dream about a life without it. MP's institution received research grant support, with receipt of travel and accommodation expenses in some cases, from Medtronic and Dexcom. MP is a consultant for Animas, Medtronic and Bayer; and is a member of Scientific advisory boards for CGM3 Ltd., D-Medical and Physical Logic. TB's institution received research grant support, with receipt of travel and accommodation expenses in some cases, from Abbott, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk and Diamyd. TB is on the speaker's bureaux of Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Bayer and Medtronic; and is a member of scientific advisory boards for Bayer, Life Scan and Medtronic.