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2nd Diabetes Information Day in Düsseldorf

The German Diabetes Center in Düsseldorf, a partner in the DZD, held its second diabetes information day on April 10th. More than 200 diabetes patients and other individuals interested in the topic attended the event to learn more about new treatments for diabetes and its complications and about the findings of the German Diabetes Study. The participants also took the opportunity to undergo a health check-up.

Following the opening of the event by Professor Michael Roden, the director of the German Diabetes Center (DDZ), Professor Andreas Meyer-Falcke, head of the Department of Human Resources and Health in Düsseldorf, welcomed the attendees and stressed the high quality of health care in Düsseldorf. “A city is only as healthy as its population! And Düsseldorf is healthy,” Meyer-Falcke said, adding that events like the Information Day would help make Düsseldorf even healthier.

Healthy diet and enjoyable eating
Professor Karsten Müssig, head of the Nutrition research group at the DDZ, pointed out in his talk “Enjoyable Eating with Diabetes – Is This Possible?” that people with diabetes can still enjoy eating. Through conscious food choices, it is possible to prepare varied and delicious meals and still ensure good blood glucose levels.

German Diabetes Study
Dr. Bettina Nowotny, head of the Clinical Study Center of the DDZ, presented the findings of the German Diabetes Study, which is being conducted in cooperation with the DZD. To date, studies on 650 diabetes patients have shown that a lack of insulin action is not only caused by high body weight or poor sugar control but likely also by other mechanisms such as inflammation reaction and dietary patterns.

Diabetes Complications
In his presentation, PD Dr. Rainer Guthoff, deputy director of the Department of Ophthalmology at Düsseldorf university Hospital, focused on the diagnosis and treatment of retinal disease (retinopathy) as a typical complication of diabetes. Dr. Guthoff explained that targeted control of blood glucose levels and other risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and disturbances of the lipid metabolism could delay or prevent the occurrence of retinopathy.

Health Check-Up
The lecture program was complemented by the offering of a comprehensive health check-up, which many participants took advantage of. The participants could have their HbA1c levels tested and undergo a vessel wall thickness test to detect incipient vascular changes, consult with a nutritionist and undergo a vibration test to detect first signs of nerve damage. Furthermore, the participants could undergo fundus photography to detect any incipient damage to the retina.