In keeping with this year's motto, Professor Michael Roden, member of the executive board of the German Diabetes Center and director of the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology at Düsseldorf University Hospital, opened the event and emphasized in his welcome speech: "With its current research, the DDZ would like to help families and people with diabetes shape their lives with diabetes in the best possible way. The direct exchange at events such as the Düsseldorf Diabetes Day demonstrates the importance of personal communication in conveying information about new findings on topics such as nutrition and exercise.“
Almost 900 visitors informed themselves during the day in 25 lectures and at more than 40 information stands of local and (supra) regional companies, associations and self-help groups about the latest forms of treatment, services and new developments in the field of blood glucose monitoring. For Andreas Ehlert, president of the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts and Skilled Trades and for many years host of the event, it is only natural to offer the Chamber’s premises for a free public event on diabetes in order to inform the citizens of Düsseldorf about preventive measures to combat this widespread disease.
In five personal reports, people with diabetes, including the track and field athlete and three-time German champion Daniel Schnelting and diabetes blogger Bastian Niemeier, related their experiences coping with diabetes and described situations from their lives. Professor Andreas Meyer Falcke, patron of the event and commissioner for health of the City of Düsseldorf, was particularly pleased that during the event "especially individuals with diabetes could tell about their everyday lives and their experiences and thus offer all visitors a personal exchange platform. At events of this size this is often not possible.“
In the further course of the Diabetes Day, the diabetes health parcourse offered the opportunity to gain comprehensive insight into the topics of exercise and nutrition and take part in the health checks offered at the event. Along with individual tests offered in the Diabetes-Info-Mobile of the NRW State Association of German Diabetes Aid – People with Diabetes (DDH-M), the participants could have their cholesterol values determined at the stand of the North Rhine Pharmacists’ Association. The topic of nutrition was presented in a hands-on way to the visitors at the nutrition pyramid at the IKK classic stand. Children and young people in particular quickly realized that their favorite dishes were not necessarily always suitable for everyday enjoyment. "Information events such as the Düsseldorf Diabetes Day show how one can improve one‘s quality of life despite diabetes," said Norbert Kuster, NRW state chairman of the DDH-M and himself a person with diabetes, reflecting on the event at the end of the day.
The next Diabetes Day will take place on September 5, 2020. Questions about diabetes will be answered on a continuous basis at the Diabetes Information Service of the DDZ (www.diabetesinformationsdienst.de). Or you can visit diabetes experts at the 5th Patient Day in the DDZ on November 13, 2019 on the occasion of World Diabetes Day. The Düsseldorf Diabetes Day is jointly organized by the Regional Innovation Network (RIN) Diabetes, the DDZ, the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetology at Düsseldorf University Hospital, the NRW State Association of the DDH-M as well as the Düsseldorf diabetologists in private practice and the Düsseldorf Chamber of Crafts and SkilledTrades. On the event page of the website www.duesseldorfer-diabetestag.de/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/duesseldorfer.diabetestag/ and Instagram at www.instagram.com/duesseldorfer_diabetestag/ you will find impressions of this year‘s Düsseldorf Diabetes Day and information on upcoming events.