Toronto (Sept. 19, 2014) – With Canadian diabetes rates skyrocketing and an anticipated growth in the disease of almost 50 per cent over the next decade in Canada, the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre is hosting its first Toronto Diabetes Summit: Game Changers in Cardiovascular Research, to equip healthcare professionals with the knowledge and information vital to address and improve quality of care.
"The inherently complex nature of diabetes, its close connection to cardiovascular diseases and its continued sharp growth in this country simply demand a more coordinated, measured and sustainable approach to treatment," says Dr. Michael Farkouh, Chair of the Peter Munk Centre of Excellence in Multinational Clinical Trials, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, UHN. "This unique summit is structured to impart valuable insights to family doctors and other medical staff sitting on the frontlines of diabetes care in Canada," he says.
The two-day Toronto Diabetes Summit to be held on September 19 and 20, 2014, at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, will feature over 250 attendees, including international diabetes experts from the United Kingdom and the United States and hosted by noted physicians and researchers from the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, the premier cardiac centre in Canada.
"Diabetes is a major factor in the development of heart disease," says Dr. Barry Rubin, Medical Director, Peter Munk Cardiac Centre. "As a global leader in cardiovascular care and treatment, we are poised to provide the knowledge and expertise necessary to improve management of this often devastating disease. One third of patients who require heart bypass surgery have diabetes. Improving diabetes management should decrease the rate of heart disease," he says.
More than nine million Canadians presently have or are at risk of developing diabetes, while current projections peg growth of the disease in Canada at 47% over the next ten years (to 2024).
Patients with diabetes are also up to four times more likely at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including: heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
Video interview with Dr. Michael Farkouh, Cardiologist: http://youtu.be/lLHs1yKohQI
About the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre
The Peter Munk Cardiac Centre is the premier cardiac centre in Canada. Since it opened in 1997, the Centre has saved and improved the lives of cardiac and vascular patients from around the world. Each year, approximately 55,000 patients receive innovative and compassionate care from multidisciplinary teams in the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, and the Centre trains more cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons and vascular surgeons than any other hospital in Canada. The Centre is based at the Toronto General Hospital and the Toronto Western Hospital - members of University Health Network.
