Eighth Elsie Bertram lecture

The eighth Elsie Bertram Memorial lecture will be given on Tuesday 10th April at 7.00pm at the John Innes Conference Centre by Professor Paul Dodson, Consultant Physician in Ophthalmology from Birmingham Heartlands Hospital on ‘How can I protect my sight if I have diabetes'.

Diabetes is still one of the commonest causes of blindness in the UK and worldwide, and about 40% of the 2.5 million people with diabetes in the UK have some diabetic eye disease, called diabetic retinopathy (DR). Professor Dodson will talk on the prevention of DR and visual loss.

This free public lecture is open to all who are interested. Tuesday 10th April at 7.00pm at the John Innes Conference Centre, Colney Lane, Norwich.

The annual lecture commemorates the very significant contribution the late Mrs Elsie Bertram MBE made to diabetes services in Norfolk. Mrs Bertram died in October 2003 at the age of 91. She had developed an active interest in diabetes as a result of her two sons developing the disorder. Diabetes continues to be one of the fastest growing diseases in Norfolk, with 3,000 new diagnoses a year locally.

Background

Diabetes explained

Diabetes can affect babies, children, young people and adults of all ages and is becoming more common. Diabetes can result in premature death, ill health and disability yet these can often be prevented or delayed by good diabetic control and high-quality care. Diabetes is a group of disorders with many different causes all of which include raised blood glucose levels. This is the result of a lack of the hormone insulin and/or an inability to respond to insulin. Insulin in the blood, produced by the pancreas is the hormone which ensures that glucose (sugar) obtained from food can be used by the body.

Type I diabetes

About 10% of people with diabetes in England have Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin because the insulin-producing cells (b-cells) have been destroyed by the body's immune system. Type 1 diabetes develops most frequently in children, young people and young adults. Although it is less common than Type 2 diabetes it is more immediately evident and symptoms can develop very rapidly. These include increased thirst and urine production, weight loss despite increased appetite, tiredness and blurred vision. People with Type 1 diabetes need daily injections of insulin to survive.

Type 2 diabetes

About 90% of those with diabetes in England have Type 2 diabetes where the pancreas is not able to produce enough insulin for the body's needs. The majority of people with Type 2 diabetes also have some degree of insulin resistance, where the cells in the body are not able to respond to the insulin that is produced. Type 2 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in adults over the age of 40, although increasingly it is appearing in young people and young adults. Glucose builds up in the blood, as in people with Type 1 diabetes, but symptoms appear more gradually and the diabetes may not be diagnosed for some years. People with Type 2 diabetes need to adjust their diet and their lifestyle. Many are overweight or obese and will be advised to lose weight. Some will also need to take tablets and/or insulin to achieve control of their blood glucose level.