Jung-Fu ChenDr. Taiwan

• Psychological Burden in Diabetes: Understanding Distress and Its Clinical Impact
  Ye-Fong DuTaiwan Speaker Psychological Burden in Diabetes: Understanding Distress and Its Clinical ImpactDiabetes distress represents the emotional burden arising from the daily demands of diabetes self-management and is conceptually distinct from major depressive disorder. Large-scale epidemiological studies indicate that 20–40% of people with diabetes experience clinically significant distress, making it one of the most prevalent psychological complications of diabetes. A growing body of longitudinal evidence demonstrates that diabetes distress is strongly associated with poor glycemic control, reduced treatment adherence, unhealthy dietary and physical activity patterns, and lower engagement with healthcare services. Importantly, diabetes distress predicts future deterioration in HbA1c independent of depressive symptoms, suggesting that it is a direct and modifiable determinant of metabolic outcomes rather than a mere emotional comorbidity. Interventional studies show that structured diabetes education, psychosocial counseling, and digital health–based self-management support can significantly reduce diabetes distress and are accompanied by improvements in glycemic control and self-efficacy. These findings highlight the bidirectional relationship between psychological burden and metabolic regulation. In the era of precision medicine and digital diabetes care, systematic screening and targeted management of diabetes distress should be integrated into routine clinical practice to optimize both psychological well-being and long-term cardiometabolic outcomes.
• Enhancing Patient Experience in Diabetes Care: Communication and Empowerment Strategies
  Samuel ChenTaiwan Speaker Enhancing Patient Experience in Diabetes Care: Communication and Empowerment Strategies
• What Does Person-Centred Diabetes Care Really Mean in 2026?
  Amandeep SinghIndia Speaker What Does Person-Centred Diabetes Care Really Mean in 2026?
• Creating Happiness in the Diabetes Clinic: A Psychosocial Approach to Better Outcomes
  Sanjay KalraIndia Speaker Creating Happiness in the Diabetes Clinic: A Psychosocial Approach to Better Outcomes

• Assessing and Managing Osteoporosis in Patients with Diabetes
  Jawl-Shan HwangTaiwan Speaker Assessing and Managing Osteoporosis in Patients with Diabetes
• Diabetes and Osteoarthritis: Metabolic Links and Clinical Implications
  Jia-Feng ChenTaiwan Speaker Diabetes and Osteoarthritis: Metabolic Links and Clinical Implications
• Sarcopenia in Diabetes: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management
  Tung-Wei KaoTaiwan Speaker Sarcopenia in Diabetes: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management Sarcopenia is emerging as a critical yet under-recognized dimension of diabetes, linking metabolic disease to progressive loss of muscle health and physical function. Beyond its traditional association with ageing, growing evidence shows that diabetes is linked to accelerated declines in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. These changes have important clinical consequences, contributing to frailty, disability, and loss of independence. As the global burden of diabetes continues to rise, maintaining skeletal muscle health is becoming an increasingly important component of diabetes care. Recent advances in metabolic and musculoskeletal research have begun to illuminate the biological links between diabetes and accelerated muscle deterioration. Alterations in insulin signaling, ectopic fat accumulation within skeletal muscle, chronic low-grade inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are increasingly recognized as converging pathways that compromise muscle quality and function. At the same time, new consensus frameworks—including the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2025 update—have expanded the concept from sarcopenia alone toward a broader focus on muscle health across the lifespan. Importantly, emerging clinical evidence suggests that sarcopenia in diabetes is not merely a consequence of ageing but a potentially modifiable condition. Interventions such as resistance exercise, structured physical activity, and targeted nutritional strategies have shown promising benefits in improving muscle strength and functional capacity in individuals with diabetes. As the global burden of diabetes continues to rise, understanding the bidirectional relationship between metabolic disease and skeletal muscle health is becoming increasingly relevant for clinical practice. This lecture will review current perspectives on sarcopenia in diabetes, highlighting key mechanistic insights, evolving diagnostic approaches, and the growing body of evidence supporting preventive and therapeutic strategies aimed at preserving muscle health in this high-risk population.