Manitoba

Winnipeggers come together to prevent and manage diabetes

An event Saturday brought Winnipeggers together to learn about how to prevent and manage diabetes, a disease the Canadian Diabetes Society says currently affects 3.3 million Canadians.

Canadian Diabetes Association holds annual meeting to help educate public on diabetes health risks

Canadian Diabetes Association says close to four million Canadians currently have diabetes, and another eight million are at risk of developing the disease. (Jacques Marcoux/CBC)

An event Saturday brought Winnipeggers together to learn about how to prevent and manage diabetes, a disease the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) says currently affects nearly four million Canadians.

The CDA’s annual Professional Conference featured speakers as well as informational workshops and expert panels.

Gold medal winning curling champion Jennifer Jones spoke in the morning about how diabetes has impacted her family.

Various health professionals presented on topics, including how to manage obesity as well as common kidney and heart complications that arise with diabetes.

The CDA estimates on top of the nearly four million Canadians currently affected by diabetes, another eight million are at risk. By 2020, it's estimated one in three people will either have or be at risk of getting the disease.