NDEP research has shown that among people at risk for diabetes, having a family history of the disease resonates more than other diabetes risk factors. NDEP is releasing a new radio public service announcement (PSA) during National Diabetes Awareness Month to emphasize family history as a risk factor for diabetes. “Voices” is a 60-second PSA that includes a diverse group of people speaking about diabetes in their family. To download the new PSA, “Voices,” visit NDEP’s Campaign Tools webpage.

Additionally, Friday, November 14 is the International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) World Diabetes Day, which calls attention to the 246 million adults living with diabetes in the seven regions of IDF. Each year, World Diabetes Day features a theme to address issues facing the global diabetes community. This year’s theme is “Diabetes in Children and Adolescents.” To mark World Diabetes Day, NDEP is highlighting its Tips for Teens tip sheet series on its website, www.YourDiabetesInfo.org. NDEP’s website will also go “blue” for the week, changing its color scheme to match the official World Diabetes Day color. To learn more about diabetes in youth, check out NDEP’s free diabetes education materials for children and adolescents.

NDEP’s 4 Steps to Control Your Diabetes. For Life. brochure is a widely-used resource for newly diagnosed people with diabetes as well as those living with diabetes for years. 4 Steps is an easy-to-read guide developed to empower people with diabetes to manage their disease by encouraging them to learn about diabetes; know their diabetes ABCs – as measured by the A1C test, blood pressure, and cholesterol; manage their diabetes; and get routine care to avoid problems.

This resource is available in English, Spanish, and 14 Asian and Pacific Islander languages. NDEP has added six new languages – Gujarati, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Japanese, and Lao - to the existing Cambodian, Chinese, Korean, Samoan, Thai, Tongan, Filipino (Tagalog), and Vietnamese 4 Steps.

To order free copies, visit the NDEP website or call 1-888-693-NDEP (6337); TTY: 1-866-569-1162. Learn more about managing diabetes by checking out NDEP’s free resources for people with diabetes.

NDEP has produced a series of podcasts for health care professionals featuring interviews with pharmacists, podiatrists, optometrists, and dental professionals on preventing diabetes complications and working as part of the diabetes care team. The series of 10 podcasts titled, “Clinical Diabetes Management,” covers topics such as periodontal disease, preventing vision loss, living with vision loss, preventing amputation, and the pharmacist’s role in diabetes care. Whether utilized individually or as a series, these free digital recordings promote the team approach to comprehensive diabetes care and provide simple care recommendations to clinicians about making cross-disciplinary referrals.

To listen to the podcasts individually or to download the entire series, follow these steps:

1. Visit www.cdc.gov/podcasts
2. Click on the “Browse” tab
3. Scroll down to “By Series”
4. Select “Clinical Diabetes Management” and click “Go”

For more clinical practice tools and patient education materials, check out NDEP’s resources for health care professionals.

Francine Kaufman, M.D., chair of NDEP, recently addressed ways that teens can lower their risk for developing type 2 diabetes on NIH radio. Emphasizing that teens should stay at a healthy weight by aiming for at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily and choosing healthy snacks to lower their risk for type 2 diabetes, the interview can be found in its entirety by visiting www.nih.gov/news/radio/oct2008/20081017Type2diabetes.htm.

In December, NDEP will promote a feature article, “People with Diabetes: Eating Right When Money’s Tight*” to general print and online publications, providing tips on how people with diabetes can prepare a healthy meal at home to save time and money. For more diabetes-friendly recipes, check out NDEP’s Recipe and Meal Planner Guide*, available in English and Spanish.

*NDEP’s updated Recipe and Meal Planner Guide is coming soon. Remember to check the “What’s New?” section of the website regularly or look for an announcement in an upcoming edition of NEWS & NOTES to find out when this and other products become available.

In January, NDEP will distribute a new feature article to older adult print and online publications that will highlight ways older adults at risk for developing type 2 diabetes can be more physically active to lower their risk for the disease. For more tips on preventing type 2 diabetes in older adults, read NDEP’s It’s Not Too Late to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Take Your First Step Today. tip sheet.

In each issue of NEWS & NOTES look for NDEP promotional tools that are ready for you to personalize, customize, and distribute.

• Take our feature articles, press releases, and public service announcements, and add your organization’s logo*.
• Add your organization’s name and mission and talk about how you and NDEP are working together.
• Add your contact information to a feature article.
• Then submit the ad and/or article to your local paper.

By using our promotional tools, everybody wins. Your community newspaper receives a story with important health information for its readers, your organization receives good publicity, and you help NDEP continue to be the nation’s No. 1 resource for free information and materials on diabetes control and prevention. Each issue of NEWS & NOTES features tools that tie into the following month’s promotions and can help us promote NDEP together.

Featured in last month’s edition of NEWS & NOTES, NDEP recently partnered with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to bring you three online videos about type 2 diabetes for those at risk and newly diagnosed with the disease. The videos address symptoms and risk factors for type 2 diabetes and use graphics to explain the science behind the disease, such as how blood glucose operates in the body. A link to the videos is now available on NDEP’s website. For more information about type 2 diabetes, visit www.YourDiabetesInfo.org.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) has launched its new Por Tu Familia Adult Prevention Toolkit designed specifically for community-based and faith-based organizations in Hispanic/Latino communities. The toolkit was developed to improve the quality of life for Hispanics/Latinos with and at risk for diabetes and provides organizations with comprehensive and culturally relevant information on diabetes and healthy living. Each toolkit contains educational materials such as brochures, recipe samplers, posters, and healthy lifestyle bilingual tip sheets.

To order a free copy of the Por Tu Familia Adult Prevention Toolkit for your organization, contact ADA’s national call center at 1-800-DIABETES.