Asian American Diabetes Initiative from Joslin Builds National Clearinghouse for Information

New additions to the web site of the Asian American Diabetes Initiative at Joslin Diabetes Center is offering innovative, interactive tools for Asian Americans who live with diabetes

New additions to the web site of the Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI) at Joslin Diabetes Center , aadi.joslin.org, is offering innovative, interactive and culturally relevant tools for Asian Americans who live with diabetes.

With the latest major enhancements to the web site, which now offers content in Japanese as well as English and Chinese, "we are building a national clearinghouse for information about diabetes and Asian Americans," says William Hsu, M.D., director of Joslin''s Asian Clinic.

Diabetes Essentials: Types, Complications, Management & Treatment
Diabetes is a metabolic disease caused by insulin deficiency that leads to high blood sugar levels and several associated complications if left untreated.

Dr. Hsu and Dr. George L. King, M.D., Joslin''s Chief Scientific Officer, are co-directors of AADI, which was established in 2000 and has dramatically elevated diabetes awareness and its management for the Asian-American population and their providers.

Asian Americans are twice as likely to develop the disease as Caucasian Americans. Physiological and cultural differences raise the need for specially tailored diabetes information and treatment-but these often have been missing.

The web site features:

Diabetes Foot Care Treatment Prevention
Valuable information on diabetic foot care, treatment and prevention.

- Joslinville, a welcoming visual interface for the site''s content

- Interactive nutritional guides offering a simple, fun way of tallying the amount of carbohydrates and other nutrients in dim sum and wok dishes-appealing health tools for anyone who enjoys Asian food!

Diabetes and Exercise
Regular exercise especially in type II diabetes not only helps reduce the sugar but also reduces the demand for medication by 20% and helps you stay healthy.

- A body mass index (BMI) calculator designed for Asian Americans

- Downloadable educational materials that address the needs of Asian American people with diabetes, their families and their healthcare professionals

Diabetic Diet - Diabetes Mellitus
The diabetic diet most often recommended is high in dietary fiber (especially soluble fiber) and nutrients, but low in fat (especially saturated fat) and moderate in calories.

- An Ask the Experts feature

- A Celebrity Spotlight series, sharing interviews with individuals who have made a difference in Asian American health, the first being famed chef Ming Tsai

- A monthly raffle, offering tickets to the AADI''s popular annual "A Spoonful of Ginger" culinary event plus other prizes aimed at healthy living with diabetes.

Source-Newswise