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For Immediate Release
October 31, 2001

Contact:
Amy Weinschenk
(207) 774-5801
E-mail: beryl@wolfwnews.com

Beryl Wolfe
(207) 775-5115

Web Site: http://www.martinspoint.org

Martin's Point Health Care to Host Diabetes Fair Friday, Nov. 2

November is National Diabetes Education Month

Martin's Point Health Care will host its annual Diabetes Fair from noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at the Martin's Point Health Education Center at 331 Veranda St. in Portland.

Titled "Focus on the Eyes," the free event coincides with National Diabetes Education Month and is aimed at providing information and answering questions about diabetes, which can lead to blindness, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and amputation.

"People who have diabetes are at high risk for eye disease, but this aspect is often overlooked," said Leigh Kirchner, a Certified Health Education Specialist at Martin's Point. "Years ago, having eye problems associated with diabetes might have been inevitable. Today, there are opportunities to reduce that risk."

Diabetes-related eye problems include cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in the United States, Kirchner added.

[NOTE: Media interested in covering the fair must call first so organizers can obtain patient release forms and have a health professional available to talk with the media. Call either Amy Weinschenk of Martin's Point at 774-5801 or Dana Slone of Wolfe PR at 775-5115. Thanks.]

At the Diabetes Fair, participants will have the opportunity to attend a presentation on diabetic eye disease by an ophthalmologist, Dr. Robert Daly. Martin's Point family physicians, dietitians and a diabetes nurse educator will also be on hand to answer questions. In addition, interactive displays will address all aspects of self-managing diabetes. The fair is free and open to the public. For more information, call (207) 828-2497.

The Martin's Point Health Education Center offers a variety of resource materials, such as publications and videos, and classes that focus on a host of topics, ranging from weight management and smoking cessation to disease management.

The center, for example, offers extensive information on diabetes, which causes blood sugar levels to be too high. Over time, high blood sugar levels can harm nerves, eyes, kidneys, and heart and blood vessels. Nearly 70,000 people in Maine and 16 million Americans have diabetes, the fourth-leading cause of death by disease in the United States, according to the American Diabetes Association.

"The good news is, those with the disease can do a lot to stay healthy," said Kirchner. "Steps to manage diabetes include controlling blood sugar levels and blood pressure, choosing a low-fat, high-fiber diet and exercising regularly."

Symptoms of diabetes include extreme thirst, blurry vision from time to time, frequent urination, unusual tiredness or drowsiness, and unexplained weight loss. Anyone with those symptoms should contact a doctor.

Established in 1981, Martin's Point is a not-for-profit health care provider with facilities in Portland, Brunswick and Windham, Maine, and in Portsmouth, N.H. The largest primary care practice in Maine, Martin's Point has a staff of more than 300 health care professionals and serves 54,000 patients - including military retirees and dependents of active military personnel - under all major health plans. Martin's Point serves patients in the areas of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, radiology, cardiology, and mammography, as well as other fields.

In addition, Martin's Point is known for its innovative approach to health care. Unique to Martin's Point is its online communication program called Patient's Personal Points, which allows patients to communicate via a secure server with their doctors to schedule appointments, ask medical questions and obtain prescription renewals. The program won a national technology award from the Healthcare Innovations in Technology Systems (HITS) Partnership in Technology national awards program. For additional information on Martin's Point Health Care, visit them online at http://www.martinspoint.org.

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