David C.W. Lau, MD PhD FRCPC
Dr. David Lau is Professor of Medicine, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Chair of the Diabetes and Endocrine Research Group at the University of Calgary.
Dr. Lau is also President of Obesity Canada, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of Canadians by reducing the occurrence of obesity through research, education, and service.
Dr. Lau is a graduate of the University of Toronto and received postgraduate training in internal medicine and endocrinology at Harvard Medical School and University of Toronto.
His basic research interests include: fat cell biology in health and obesity, the development of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in obesity and diabetes, and cellular mechanisms associated with diabetic vascular complications. He also plays an active role in population health and clinical research programs involving diabetes and obesity, as well as those involving lipid disorders in children and adults.
Dr. Lau was Chair of the evidence-based Obesity Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Steering Committee and Expert Panel. He was also a member of the 2008 Canadian Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Panel.
In 2004, Dr. Lau was honoured as being among the top 20 notable Calgarians and the top 50 Albertans for his contributions to advance the health of Albertans.
Management of Obesity-Related Cardiometabolic Risk
Wednesday: March 19, 2008
9:00 AM
Download Dr. Lau’s slide set [3.08 MB PDF].
Obesity is the most prevalent public health hazard associated with long-term health problems.
Cardiometabolic risks, such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, are highly correlated with increasing body mass index (BMI) and abdominal obesity as assessed by waist circumference values. A modest 5-10% of body weight loss can lead to significant improvement in blood glucose, lipid and blood pressure values, and cardiovascular risk factors.
Pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery are viable adjunct obesity treatment options that are drawing increasing medical attention.
This presentation will review evidence-based clinical practice guidelines on the practical management and prevention of obesity, and emerging therapies for the management of obesity-related cardiometabolic risks.
Controversies in the Management of Cardiovascular Complications of Diabetes
Thursday, March 20, 2008
7:30 AM
Download Dr. Lau’s slide set [2.96 MB MB PDF].
People with diabetes have a 2-4 fold increase in the risk for myocardial infarction and stroke, as well as microvascular complications.
Management of diabetes is directed not only at restoring normal glycemic and metabolic control, but also at preventing the long-term complications of diabetes and improving the quality of life. Achieving proper glycemic control is beneficial in reducing and retarding the progression of microvascular complications but its role in the management of cardiovascular complications remains unclear.
Cardiovascular complications of diabetes are common and vascular protection is widely recognized and accepted as an important treatment priority. Recent meta-analyses of clinical trial data suggest that insulin-sensitizing antidiabetic thiazolidinedione agents may increase cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes despite their beneficial glucose-lowering effects.
In addition, the intensive glucose-lowering arm of an ongoing, large scale multicentre ACCORD (Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes) clinical trial in type 2 diabetes was stopped prematurely because of increased mortality.
This presentation will provide a review of the current controversies in the management of diabetes, and discuss the optimal management strategies for reducing cardiovascular complications in people with diabetes.
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