Gluco-Forum Launches Online Fight Against Pre-Diabetes

LONDON , September 27/PRNewswire/ --     Today both health care professionals and the general public can access up to date information about pre-diabetes at www.glucoforum.org. This new site actively addresses the growing problem of pre-diabetes, a condition that is estimated to affect over 60 million people in Europe alone. For health professionals, a "registered users only" area is available which contains detailed clinical and scientific content, whereas the general public can see easy to understand and user-friendly advice.

The website has been developed under the guidance of Gluco-forum, a group of leading European experts in diabetes including doctors, nurses and members of associations representing people with diabetes. The group is an initiative of the International Diabetes Federation (European Region) and is actively involved in developing support for the medical profession, the public and also European Union wide political initiatives. Gluco-forum aims to raise awareness and actively support and facilitate health care professionals and people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes so that pre-diabetes can be identified and effectively prevented, so helping to reduce the millions of people in Europe who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

If unchecked, the growing prevalence of pre-diabetes will ultimately result in a rapid increase in the number of people suffering from type 2 diabetes. There are currently more than 194 million people with diabetes globally and, without active and sustained intervention to impede the epidemic, this number is expected to exceed 333 million by 2025(1). This will dramatically increase the health burden throughout Europe . However by identifying people most at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, effective lifestyle changes or, if appropriate, drug treatment can delay or even prevent the progression of the disease.

"We need to take action now to ensure that the expected epidemic of diabetes across Europe is significantly reduced" stated Dr Michael Hall, Chair of Gluco-forum. "There is compelling data that show that if we act earlier then the disease progression in many patients can be slowed down or even halted" he continued.

For health professionals, specific medical information is available regarding the clinical management of pre-diabetes, provision of optimal quality of care and taking pre-diabetes management forward into the future. A range of downloadable educational materials developed by Gluco-forum are available online to assist healthcare professionals in their everyday management of patients most at risk.

For the general public, www.glucoforum.org contains information including explanations of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes, the risk factors involved, and site users can complete a simple questionnaire which will automatically show if they may be at risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Practical measures on how to reduce or even prevent the risk of getting type 2 diabetes are also discussed.

Through its work with the public, health professionals, patient and professional associations and also on a political level, Gluco-forum is leading the fight to help prevent the many millions of people around Europe developing type 2 diabetes and its associated cardiovascular consequences. Within this, the www.glucoforum.org website provides a strong cornerstone for highlighting the urgent action which is needed to identify and prevent the condition at a much earlier stage.

Reference:

1. IDF Europe 'Facts and Figures'

(http://www.idf.org/home/index.cfm?unode=3B96906B-C026-2FD3-87B73F80BC22682A)

To view the Gluco-forum website, please go to www.glucoforum.org

Source: International Diabetes Federation (IDF)

For further information, please contact: Debra Lord, RightAngle Learning (on behalf of IDF-European Region), Tel: +44-(0)20-8834-1554 or debra.lord@ralearning.com

(4/10/05)