Diabetes

Advisory Group of Adult Patients and Caregivers of Children and Youth with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (AURORA)

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic medical condition affecting approximately 300,000 Canadians. Due to the absence of a T1DM Care Pathway in Alberta, both patients and caregivers lack access to reliable information about treatments and complication management options. The AURORA study will establish an advisory group of adult T1DM patients and caregivers of pediatric T1DM patients to develop a knowledge mobilization hub for the Alberta Care Pathway. This study will run concurrently with the recently-funded ULTIMA study, with the advisory group reviewing ULTIMA’s data to identify and provide feedback on modifiable care barriers. By addressing a significant information gap on T1DM care and treatment in Alberta, this study will create a national model for knowledge mobilization, ultimately improving the health of patients and caregivers.

CVC Faculty Involvement:
Padma Kaul, PhD

Diabetes and Cancer Outcomes in a Real-world Setting (DISCOURSE)

Cancer is becoming a major cause of hospitalization and death among people with diabetes. The DISCOURSE study aims to better understand the linkages between these conditions. The DISCOURSE study has four central aims:

  • Examine screening rates for cancers in people with and without diabetes.
  • Evaluate whether patients with poorly controlled diabetes have a higher risk of cancer, and determine whether diet and lifestyle factors have an effect on diabetes and cancer risk.
  • Examine what drugs are being used to manage individuals with diabetes and cancer, and assess what impact these drugs have on mortality and other outcomes.
  • Determine whether mothers with diabetes during pregnancy are at a higher risk of cancer than those without diabetes.

CVC Faculty Involvement:
Padma Kaul, PhD

Real-World Evidence on the Association Between Diabetes and Sex on Cardiovascular Event Rates (REDISCOVER)

As part of her role as the Canadian Institute of Health and Research (CIHR) Sex and Gender Science Chair, Dr. Padma Kaul is leading the REDISCOVER Study, which aims to provide new insights into the relationship between sex and diabetes on cardiovascular disease outcomes. This research utilizes the rich population-health data that is available in Alberta. The CVC works in collaboration with Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services to develop large longitudinal cohorts of patients with heart disease in the province, which has made the linking of clinical, laboratory, and administrative data possible, and offers a unique opportunity to examine novel questions on sex-differences. The REDISCOVER project is comprised of three studies: 

  • Examine sex-differences in the rates of screening for diabetes.
  • Explore diabetes as a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease.
  • Assess sex-differences in the use of medications aimed at treating diabetes.


REDISCOVER was selected as a featured research project for CIHR’s 100 Years of Insulin: Accelerating Canadian Discoveries to Defeat Diabetes initiative.

CVC Faculty Involvement:
Padma Kaul, PhD

Publications:

The Uptake of Insulin Pump Therapy and its Outcomes in Alberta (ULTIMA)

Insulin Pump Therapy (IPT) involves a wearable medical device that provides continuous insulin infusion underneath the skin. Compared to multiple daily injections (MDI), IPT is shown to be associated with superior glucose control and an improved patient experience. The ULTIMA study seeks to better understand the accessibility and long-term outcomes of IPT use in individuals with Type 1 diabetes mellitus in Alberta. The study has three primary objectives:

  • Examine whether social determinants of health, including socioeconomic status, urban/rural residence, and ethnicity, impact the likelihood of receiving IPT.
  • Compare long-term clinical outcomes in a baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), age, sex-matched cohort of people on IPT and on MDI.
  • Compare long-term health care resource utilization and costs among those on IPT versus MDI in the aforementioned cohort.

CVC Faculty Involvement:
Padma Kaul, PhD