SEMDSA Editorial
3 2015 Volume 20 No 1 JEMDSA
Welcome to Bloemfontein, the “the city of roses”, for the Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa’s (SEMDSA) annual congress. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the SEMDSA 2015 congress promises to be an event to remember. The congress takes place on the campus of the University of the Free State.
Thyroid hormone was isolated in 1914 by Dr Edward Kendall from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA. He later went on to receive the Nobel Prize for the synthesis and use of cortisone. A century later, clinicians are still struggling with the management of patients suffering from thyroid disorders. New insights into the management of thyroid disorders will be discussed by Prof James Hennessey from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Prof Hennessey will also participate in an ultrasound master class for endocrinologists, and present a lecture on recent advances in molecular testing for indeterminate thyroid nodules, in an attempt to try and improve the management of these sometimes difficult-to- understand disorders.
It was hoped with the sequencing of the complete human genome that this would be a “quick fix” for many conditions. Although it has helped with our understanding of human physiology and many diseases, many questions are still unanswered. Prof Paul Franks, a full professor in genetic epidemiology, is the head of the Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology (GAME) Unit at Lund University Diabetes Centre in Malmö, Sweden. He has a special interest in the interaction of genetic and lifestyle factors in the aetiology of diabetes. Through his presentation, Prof Franks will try and untangle these interactions which may lead to new therapies in the future.
Multiple new drugs have been developed for the management of osteoporosis over the past three decades. These drugs are effective in preventing fractures at all involved sites, with a relatively safe side-effect profile. However, some patients fail to respond and keep on fracturing. Prof Erik Eriksen is an international authority on osteoporosis management. He is currently Professor of Endocrinology at Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
He has been heavily involved with the development of drugs, such as zoledronic acid and parathyroid hormone (PTH)(1-34). The topics that he will cover include the management of severe osteoporosis and the use of bone markers in metabolic bone disease.
Will the new drug classes that have entered the market over the past decade benefit our patients? Prof James Gavin III is a noted leader in the field of diabetes, serving as Chief Executive Officer and as Chief Medical Officer of Healing Our Village Inc; Clinical Professor of Medicine at Emory University School of Medicine; and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. Prof Gavin is a former president of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), recipient of the Banting Medal for Distinguished Service, and in 1991 received ADA’s Clinician of the Year award for his contributions to diabetes care.
Prof Gavin will introduce the science and the need for sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, as well as explain their relevance in diabetes management in 2015.
The congress takes place in combination with the Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society of Southern Africa’s national meeting. Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) inhibition has become the new “buzzword” within the lipid community, with our local lipid specialists performing groundbreaking studies on the South African familial hypercholesterolaemia population. Prof Gilles Lambert, Associate Professor at Université de Nantes, Nantes, France, has been an imminent figure in the development of PCSK9 inhibition as a therapeutic option in patients suffering from hypercholesterolaemia. He will focus on the science of the new therapy, as well as the practical use of the drug.
As usual, SEMDSA also provides a forum for local clinicians and scientists to showcase their own original research and to interact with peers. Apart from the scientific sessions, we are also introducing a publication workshop which will hopefully lay the foundation for future meetings, and improve the quality and quantity of our local researchers.
There is also ample opportunity to socialise and enjoy the hospitality of the people of the Free State.
SEMDSA wishes to use this platform to express the society’s gratitude and appreciation to the pharmaceutical industry for its unconditional and sustained financial support of its academic activities, as well as its supportive role in training and education.
William De Lange, Senior Specialist
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of the Free State
