Know the symptoms of diabetes “Recognising the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes is essential. If not managed well, it can lead to complications such as blindness, lower limb amputation, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke.” dr somen banerjee, director of public health tower hamlets Positive steps Positive East helps people from first diagnosis of HIV to a place of sustained independence. www.positiveeast.org.uk Health news THE Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby, took time out of his busy schedule to bless a new purpose-built hospital for HIV patients. Mildmay, a charity and dedicated HIV hospital in Bethnal Green, welcomed the archbishop on Monday, November 3. Archbishop Welby (pictured right in the hospital courtyard) toured the wards where he met patients, nursing staff, volunteers and the greatgrandson of Mildmay’s first-ever medical director. Around 80 guests then gathered in the hospital’s courtyard garden where the Archbishop blessed the building in front of the stone set to commemorate the occasion. Helping people with HIV stay fit A STEPNEY charity has refurbished its gym, thanks to funding from The People’s Postcode Lottery. Positive East, a charity that offers support and services to people affected by HIV, used the £5,000 grant to repaint the gym and buy new equipment. Paul Fleming, the charity’s director of fundraising and communications, said: “With the improvements in medication, HIV is no longer the killer disease it once was, and most people who are HIV positive can expect to have a normal life expectancy. “However, there is no cure and treatment is for life so maintaining a healthy lifestyle really can make all the difference”. Good breakfast is ‘diabetes defence’ BY ANNA WILSON THIS year’s national World Diabetes Day on November 14 is focusing on healthy living, drawing attention to the importance of prevention as well as management of the disease. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is highlighting the importance of eating a healthy breakfast as it decreases the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that more than 13,600 people in Tower Hamlets have diabetes, while around 1,800 have the disease but have not yet been diagnosed. Research shows that the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes is six times higher for people of South Asian origin compared to those of a European descent. Diabetes is a long-term condition that occurs when a person’s blood sugar level becomes too high. There are two kinds of diabetes –Type 1 is less common and can develop very quickly over the course of weeks or even days, particularly in children and young people, while Type 2 is preventable and is strongly linked to being overweight. Symptoms for both types of diabetes include: increased urination increased thirst tiredness, dry mouth unexplained weight loss. Dr Somen Banerjee, director of public health Tower Hamlets, added: “More than 70 per cent of Type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or delayed by adopting healthier lifestyles. “If not managed well, diabetes can lead to complications such as blindness, lower limb amputation, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke.” Regular exercise and eating a balanced diet – by increasing foods such as vegetables, fresh fruit, whole grains and eating less fat – can help prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Zakia Khatun, long term conditions programme manager for Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Tower Hamlets is the best performing area in the country for blood pressure and cholesterol control for diabetes. There are eight key care processes vital to effective diabetes care and we are the highest performing area in the country for three and in the top quartile for providing all eight.” Barts Health NHS Trust are hosting a diabetes information event on Friday, November 14, from 1- 5pm at the Diabetes Care Centre, second floor, Mile End Hospital, Bancroft Road, E1. Call 8223 8809 or 8836. Residents between the ages of 40-74 can access free NHS health checks from their local GP. Visit www.idf.org/world diabetesday and www.nhs.uk Open Day Fri 21 Nov 2 - 5.00pm 10 – 16 NOVEMBER 2014 N E W S F R O M T O WER HAMLETS COUNCIL AND YOUR COMMUNITY 11
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