ZAGREB, Croatia, June 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
Researchers will take another step towards standardised European guidelines for managing the metabolic genetic disorder Phenylketonuria (PKU) at a conference dedicated to the illness.
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EXCEMED is convening dietitians, paediatricians and other healthcare professionals for the "2014 Annual Multidisciplinary European Phenylketonuria Symposium - PKU: A lifetime of challenges" in Zagreb, Croatia from 6 to 7 June 2014.
"We are very close to making European recommendations for the management of PKU. This is a big feature at the meeting - all the guidelines will be presented, some of them based on evidence, some on opinion." says Professor Anita MacDonald, Consultant Dietitian at Birmingham Children's Hospital, Birmingham, UK and co-scientific coordinator of the conference.
In the past, much PKU research was uncontrolled or not randomised and it occurred non-collaboratively in small centers, explains Prof. MacDonald. "We are left with dilemmas such as people within the same country dealing with PKU differently," she says.
PKU is a rare disorder affecting one in ten thousand people; lack of funding and a history of limited, inconclusive research have meant slow advancements in effective management techniques.
"For the past 60 years, diet has been the mainstay of treatment of PKU. Although successful, it is challenging, so we are desperate to find effective and cost effective alternative treatments for our families," says Prof. MacDonald.
"Ours is the only professional health meeting that is purely dedicated to PKU," says Rachel Clark, EXCEMED CEO. "We're proud to offer this opportunity for professionals to come up with ideas for collaborative work."
Meeting attendees will evaluate management of PKU, interpret its pathophysiological insights, and compare ways to counteract neurocognitive repercussions for patients. Approaches for managing maternal, transition age and adulthood PKU will also be considered.
About EXCEMED
EXCEMED - Excellence in Medical Education is an independent, non-profit continuing medical education (CME) provider based in Geneva, Switzerland. The Foundation has delivered top CME to thousands of healthcare professionals for over four decades, convening over 1500 international scientific congresses with over 500 proceedings published in leading international medical journals. EXCEMED has pioneered online CME courses since 2000 and offers e-learning activities including video lectures, CME-accredited online courses and symposia. EXCEMED changed its name from Serono Symposia International Foundation in April 2014. http://www.excemed.org
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