Current innovations in the treatment of diabetes and what the future holds will be the focus of Diabetes Education 1999, a conference featuring Steven Ruby, vascular surgeon at St. Francis Hospital and head of the Complications Review Committee for Juvenile Diabetes International.

The conference will take place at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center on Thursday, March 25, from 1-4:30 p.m. It is sponsored by the School of Allied Health in cooperation with Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, with Pfizer Inc. as the primary sponsor.

Ruby, an expert on diabetes complications, will give a presentation titled Diabetes: Today and Tomorrow, with a question-and-answer session to follow.

"The incidence of diabetes in the United States has increased by 50 percent since 1980," says Cynthia Adams, professor and associate dean of allied health. "This conference carries a hopeful message for the future, with the advances in medical science and genetic engineering looking toward a cure."

Kenneth Reels, chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council, is honorary chair of the conference. Reels, a diabetic, will be honored during the conference for his efforts in diabetes education.

Adams says people of color, including Native Americans, are at higher risk of diabetes, owing to hereditary patterns and lifestyle issues, such as diet and higher stress levels.

Adams is part of a panel that will discuss various topics related to diabetes during the conference. She will speak about diabetes and depression. Other topics include trends in the diabetic diet, by Stephanie Ku of CIGNA HealthCare, and the new and improving diet, by Martha Johnson, a pharmacist, of Stop & Shop.

Also during the conference, vendors from drug and health care companies will provide free information and supplies.

For more information about the conference, call Jeannine Vollono at (860) 486-4262, ext. 1. Registration is $75 for health professionals or $10 for persons with diabetes and their family members. To register, send a check to University of Connecticut, One Bishop Circle, U-56R, or call with credit card payments at (800) 622-9905. Credit card registrations may also be faxed to (860) 486-3968. The registration deadline is March 23.

Joseph Holstead