Help Defeat Diabetes Exhibition 2015 begins on May 29

Mumbai, India, May 14, 2015 (Newswire.com) - A three day exhibition titled ‘Help Defeat Diabetes through Education & Awareness’ will be organised at Nehru Centre, Worli, Mumbai, from May 29th to 31st, 2015.

After the immensely successful event ‘Defeat Diabetes’ in 2008, Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre (DENMARC), in association with Help Defeat Diabetes Trust (HDDT), is organising yet another exhibition, a concrete step towards spreading nationwide awareness and information, and providing assistance and guidance to common people regarding various aspects of diabetes. About 7,000 people visited the expo in 2008 and about 15,000 people are expected to visit the expo this year.

The topics of interest to be deliberated at the exhibition include characteristics of different types of diabetes, latest technologies available for diagnosis and treatment and management of complications. 

Besides, the exhibition lays emphasis on Prevention of Diabetes by educating people about the risk factors of diabetes and teaching them how to prevent it with the help of lifestyle changes. Additionally, Newer Therapeutic Approaches, like stem cell therapy, insulin pumps and pancreatic and beta cell transplants will be discussed. 

"Type 2 diabetes is an epidemic in India, with 60 million people affected by the disorder. If unchecked, this number is set to increase to close to 100 million by 2030. About 98 per cent of diabetics seen in India are suffering from Type 2 diabetes," said Prof. (Dr.) Hemraj B.Chandalia, Chairman of HDDT.

Type 2 diabetes is a genetic disease which is precipitated by improper diet, lack of exercise and obesity. Thus, it is an inherited disease which manifests when combined with a bad lifestyle. 

Type 1 diabetes, affecting about 2 per cent of diabetes patients in India, is induced by an autoimmune process, which means that the body’s immune system is triggered to attack the pancreas, destroying insulin secreting cells as a result.

"We as individuals can do a lot to prevent the spread of Type 2 diabetes. Diet and exercise not only is used to treat diabetes after it becomes apparent, but can also prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes in someone who is at increased risk – ‘the pre-diabetic’," said Dr. Shaival H.Chandalia.

Research studies have shown that diet and exercise is more potent than even medications in preventing diabetes. Also the benefits of lifestyle modification (diet and exercise) extend beyond diabetes and have a salutary effect on blood pressure and heart diseases.

"Finally, diet and exercise can be instituted on a large scale in the general population and is an absolutely natural way of dealing with the problem. Hence the importance of education and dissemination of knowledge on the disorder," Dr Chandalia explained.

Visitors to the exhibition will get to participate in interactive sessions by experts, health check-up camps, patient education galleries, presentations by companies on new therapies and medicines that are being launched or available. 

About HDDT

Help Defeat Diabetes Trust (HDDT) is a registered non-profit trust. It has a variety of objectives, all focused on the welfare of people with diabetes. The main objective is of promoting education and awareness amongst people with diabetes, diabetes educators and diabetologists. Currently, it is running a website for e-based training of diabetes educators (www.helpdefeatdiabetes.org). This website also carries extensive free access educational material for people with diabetes. This effort is towards creating a new cadre of health-care professionals to help people with diabetes. Most trustees of HDDT are working for several decades under Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre (DENMARC) and have been instrumental in developing effective education programs in the field of diabetes.

About Prof. (Dr.) Hemraj B.Chandalia

Dr. Chandalia is the Director of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre and the Director of Diabetes Endocrine Nutrition Management and Research Centre, Mumbai (DENMARC). 

Dr. Chandalia had held several faculty positions including one as a Post Doctoral Fellow (1967), Instructor in Medicine (1968-69), Assistant Professor, Department of Endocrinology & Metabolism (1970), University of Alabama Medical Centre, Birmingham, USA; and Faculty of Grant Medical College, Bombay from 1971 up to 2000, when he had retired as Honorary Prof. of Medicine and Diabetes. Since 2001, he is teaching  DNB (Medicine) students at Jaslok Hospital Research Centre.

Dr. Chandalia is a Fellow of American College of Physicians, Founder Fellow, Indian College of Physicians and Patron, Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India. He has published 75 articles, originals and reviews in scientific journals and has over 20 authorship, editorship or contributions to books to his credit. He was the Editor of International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries from 1991 up to 2012, and the Editor of Diabetes Today since 1991. He was the Editor-in-Chief of RSSDI Textbook of Diabetes, 3rd Edition.