The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP),a joint effort of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will launch an updated public awareness campaign called “The Power to Control Diabetes Is in Your Hands” to help the 18.3 percent of adults age 60 and over with diabetes to manage their disease. The event, featuring an address by Dr. Griffin Rodgers, deputy director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), and updated Power to Control campaign materials will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 20 at the Ft. Stevens Recreational Center, 1327 Van Buren Street, N.W. The Ft. Stevens Recreational Center is a part of the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation.

Highlights of the new “Power to Control Diabetes Is in Your Hands” campaign include a community action kit and a brochure designed to reach adults ages 60 and older with diabetes, as well as their loved ones. Although diabetes and its complications occur in people of all ages, and racial and ethnic groups, older adults are more commonly affected, and many older adults with diabetes are on fixed incomes that make it difficult for them to follow all recommended self-care routines. The Power to Control materials stress the importance of keeping blood glucose close to normal levels to reduce the complications of the disease as well as information about how to access Medicare benefits to help a person with diabetes manage their disease.

Participants:

• Griffin Rodgers, M.D., Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at NIH
• Benjamin McCottry, Program Director of Senior Services, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation>
• Donna Dunston, Project Director, Barney Neighborhood House
• Carolyn Leontos, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., Chair of the NDEP’s Older Adults Workgroup
• Louis Jones, Site Manager, Ft. Stevens Recreational Center

Note to Media:
Following the event, a certified fitness instructor will lead chair exercises for senior center visitors. A Registered Dietitian will be available to discuss healthy food choices.

Date: Thursday, October 20, 2005

Time: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Place: Ft. Stevens Recreational Center, 1327 Van Buren St., N.W., Washington, D.C.

Contact: Joanne Gallivan, Director, National Diabetes Education Program, 301-496-3583

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.