The First JSDEI Symposium in Japan Theme: Diabetes, Obesity, Nutrition & Oral Health

09 January 2009

Osaka, January 9, 2009 – Sunstar Foundation for Oral Health Promotion (Headquarters: Takatsuki City, Osaka, Chairman: Hiroo Kaneda) is sponsoring a series of symposiums on “Diabetes, Obesity, Nutrition and Oral Health” as part of the Joslin-Sunstar Diabetes Education Initiative (JSDEI) with the aim of broadly disseminating throughout society the latest research findings on the relationship between oral health and the health of the entire body. The symposiums feature presentations by some of the world’s leading researchers who will report on the most up-to-date clinically-relevant and empirically-based information on periodontitus and diabetes for physicians, registered dietitians, certified diabetes educators, dentists, periodontists and dental hygienists involved in the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is now a disease affecting about 246 million people around the world, about 6% of the world’s total adult population. By 2025, the number of people suffering from diabetes is expected to reach to 380 million, an increase of 64.7% over the figure for 2007.

The rapid change in lifestyles in recent years is believed to be behind the dramatic increase in people suffering from diabetes. An important way to prevent diabetes is to make changes in personal eating habits, particularly focused on reducing caloric intake together with consuming healthier foods. When a person’s blood sugar level is consistently at abnormal levels due to diabetes, various serious complications may occur such as coronary artery disease, retinopathy, and kidney disease, and a person’s quality of life is greatly affected.

Periodontal disease has been linked with both the worsening of blood sugar control in people with diabetes and with increased risk for diabetic complications. It is also known that maintaining healthy basic nutrition practices also contributes to the prevention of diabetes as well as its complications, including periodontal disease.

With these new research directions in mind, in April 2008, Sunstar entered into an agreement with Joslin Diabetes Center (Based in Boston, MA; President and CEO Ranch C. Kimball), the world’s preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School, to team up to launch the Joslin-Sunstar Diabetes Education Initiative. The first JSDEI Symposium held in Japan will be in Osaka on January 31, 2009 (Saturday).

● About the JSDEI
To achieve the goals of the initiative, JSDEI professional symposiums are being held in the U.S. and Japan with the theme of “Obesity / Diabetes & Nutrition” and “Diabetes & Oral Health”. On November 8, 2008 in Chicago, a symposium for specialists was held featuring presentations by a distinguished faculty. All of the approximately 450 attendees received a Physicians Desk Reference Handbook on Oral-Systemic Health and two educational brochures. In addition, as part of the JSDEI, two Sunstar Group in-company educational seminars have already been held, one in Japan and another in the U.S.

● Schedule of Symposiums and JSDEI Activities
1）Schedule of symposiums for specialists
Target audience: Physicians, Dentists, Registered Dietitians, Nurses, Pharmacists and others
Venue and Dates: Osaka, January 31, 2009; Los Angeles, March 28, 2009; Tokyo, April 19, 2009; New York, May 2, 2009; and one more in Japan (to be announced)
2）Production of education tools using digital media
3）Production of Japanese-language handbook and brochures for doctors, dentists, and patients
4）Holding of Sunstar Group in-company seminars

For more information, please contact the Sunstar PR Department in Tokyo
Tel: +81-3-5441-1423
Fax: +81-3-5441-8778