Preface

Abstract

A rapid increase in the number of diabetes patients is becoming a huge medical problem in Asia, as well as worldwide. According to the Diabetes Atlas published by the International Diabetes Federation in October 2009, 285 million people will be living with diabetes in 2010 globally, and the number is projected to rise to 438 million by 2030. The region with the highest number of people with diabetes is, and will remain to be, the Western Pacific region, where some 77 million people now have the disease and South-East Asia, which now has 59 million sufferers. Even worse for our area is the perplexing fact that the increasing number of patients with diabetes in Asia is progressing even more rapidly than in other parts of the world, and the prevalence of diabetes in younger people in Asia is more becoming even more prominent. I was surprised to learn in my early research that the characteristics of type 2 diabetes in Japanese people differ from those in Westerners generally, but the understanding that the phenotype of diabetes in Asian people generally (non-obesity and insulin secretory dysfunction) differs from that in other races (obesity and insulin resistance) is widely known today. Indeed, many and various specialized diabetes medical research and care groups have been formed in Asian countries to serve our population specifically. Even so, there is a critical need for further research on diabetes among Asian people, which has led to us forming the Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD). This new association of scientists, medical doctors and medical care professionals was launched officially on March 6, 2009 and is intended to contribute forcefully to the advancement of research and the application of appropriate care for Asian diabetes patients, in full recognition of the several unique aspects of the phenotype of the disease in this population. Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes will focus on the promotion of crucial research activity on the forms of diabetes most commonly found in Asian countries, with the primary goal of promptly improving diabetes treatments and care for our diabetes patients specifically. We call upon all of the diabetes associations and societies in Asia to participate in AASD, and I am happy to report that, so far, 19 such associations and societies from East and South-East Asian countries have already officially joined the association. Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes will also embrace scientists, physicians, laboratory workers, nurses and students from all over the world who are interested in diabetes and related subjects. The Association is governed by its Executive Board, which is managed by a Chairman and includes the Chairs of the boards of each of the member societies and associations, as well as the Editor-in-Chief and members of the Executive Board of the Journal of Diabetes Investigation, the official scientific journal of AASD. Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes will stage an annual academic meeting in a different Asian city every year in the future, and all members will be vigorously encouraged to participate in these meetings to both learn and share knowledge of all subjects related to the improvement of clinical diabetes care, as well as to advance the levels of basic research on diabetes in our region. To further the participation of our younger members, AASD will provide numerous travel grants for every annual meeting. To disseminate research and promote appropriate care for the diabetes patients in our region, AASD has launched the publication of an official peer-review journal, the Journal of Diabetes Investigation (JDI). This new journal will support clinical and experimental research in diabetes and related areas, including all aspects of prevention, treatment, education, nutrition, metabolic risk, and psychosocial and socio-economic research as well as pathophysiology and molecular investigations. Translational research focused on the exchange of ideas between clinicians and researchers is also welcomed. The ongoing battle against diabetes in this region requires a dedicated approach by all of our various healthcare professionals, together with a better understanding of the disease and its treatment by patients and society. I am looking forward to working with all of you towards improving the lives of diabetes patients in Asia and worldwide that will result from the success of AASD and JDI.