In recent years, diabetes has reached epidemic proportions, affecting almost 21 million men, women, and children in the United States. It is one of the most heavily researched diseases of our time, yet it remains an incurable, progressive illness—the sixth leading cause of death in the United States—with devastating complications such as blindness, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disorders.

The past 10 years, however, have seen a revolution in diabetes care that will continue well into the 21st century. New pharmacological interventions, including new oral therapies and insulin formulations, noninvasive glucose monitors, and transplant procedures have recently become available or are just on the horizon, offering hope for sustainable treatment.

With the advent of these therapeutic strategies, CADRE (the Council for the Advancement of Diabetes Research and Education) was launched to provide educational programs and research grants to further expand our knowledge of this debilitating illness and its treatment.

CADRE will take action to reduce the devastating complications of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Its plan of action emphasizes treating diabetes to reach and maintain target levels of glucose, blood pressure, and lipids. CADRE is committed to excellence in education, research, and treatment of diabetes. CADRE membership is free to all endocrinologists, diabetologists, primary care physicians, diabetes educators, and other health care professionals who work with diabetes patients. 

Education

CADRE is dedicated to providing health care professionals with valuable educational initiatives about diabetes care and management. In addition to sponsoring continuing medical education seminars and symposia, CADRE develops and delivers educational products (such as monographs, diabetes newsletters, a diabetes handbook, diabetes slides, lecture kits, and journal supplements) on the risks and opportunities for people with diabetes.

CADRE has conducted research to identify the barriers to adequate diabetes care and the means to overcome those burdens. CADRE encourages and supports research into the pathophysiology of diabetes as well as current and future therapies for diabetes.

CADRE develops educational programs to help physicians improve patient care.

• CADRE sponsors continuing medical education (CME) programs in accordance with the guidelines of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).
• In coming years, CADRE will work with physicians and other health care providers to develop tools and techniques to help them improve the day-to-day care of their patients.

• CADRE will pursue opportunities to support research activities at several levels during the coming years.

• Landmark studies show that maintaining tight glycemic control reduces the risk of serious, disabling, or fatal complications, such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and amputations.
• Diabetes is now recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease according to the recently revised National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines. The guidelines state that just having diabetes poses as great a risk for having a heart attack in 10 years as does having previously diagnosed heart disease.

CADRE programs help health care practitioners to:

• Understand interplay between insulin deficiency, insulin resistance, and other etiologic factors in diabetes
• Execute early, aggressive intervention to prevent microvascular and macrovascular complications of diabetes
• Partner with patient to achieve target glycated hemoglobin A1C, lipid, and blood pressure
• Describe the mechanism of action, efficacy, and safety of available pharmacologic agents for diabetes
• Implement effective treatment strategies based on patient type and management needs
• Discuss future diabetes therapies with patients and colleagues