Sunstar Enters into Agreement to Launch an Educational Initiative with Joslin Diabetes Center on “Obesity, Diabetes, and Nutrition” and “Diabetes and Oral Care”
02 June 2008
June 2, 2008 — In April 2008, Sunstar Inc. (Head Office: Takatsuki City, Osaka; and President and Managing Director: Kazuo Hamada) and Joslin Diabetes Center (based in Boston, MA; President and CEO: Ranch C. Kimball) teamed up to launch an initiative aimed at educating dentists, physicians, and nutritionists about the link between diabetes and gum disease and other oral health issues, as well as the link between diabetes and nutrition. The key themes to be focused on through the initiative are “Obesity, Diabetes, and Nutrition,” and “Diabetes and Oral Care.” The ways in which the initiative’s goals will be achieved include the following:
(1) Holding professional symposia targeted for physicians, dentists, nutritionists, nurses, pharmacists and others (These symposia are planned for: Chicago, November 2008; Osaka, January 2009; Los Angeles, March 2009; Tokyo, April 2009; New York, May 2009; and then in Kyoto.) ,
(2) Holding seminars for Sunstar Group companies (twice each in Japan and the U.S.),
(3) Creating educational tools using electronic media, and
(4) Creating of guidebooks for medical and dental clinicians as well as for patients.
Sunstar wishes to contribute to medicine and dentistry by working on these educational programs in collaboration with Joslin Diabetes Center, the world’s largest diabetes research institution.
“Traditionally, there has been little dialogue between the two disciplines,’’ said George L. King, M.D., Director of Research and Senior Vice President at Joslin Diabetes Center. “But when it comes to a person with diabetes, it is all one body,’’ he said. “It is likely that inflammation in the oral cavity, particularly the gums, can adversely impact blood glucose and exacerbate diabetes. It is also known that poor diabetes control can cause many complications, including increased risks of gum disease and loss of teeth.’’
At the same time, he noted, “I am enthusiastic about this initiative. We are at a new frontier of clinical care, which will bring about better health outcomes for patients. This will forge new areas for investigation and hopefully elevate the standard of clinical care.’’
Cooperation between Sunstar and Joslin Diabetes Center
November 2004:
An agreement was concluded between Sunstar and Joslin Diabetes Center, which is affiliated with Harvard University, to conduct joint research aimed at characterizing the effects of the Asian diet on preventing the development of diabetes.
January 2005:
In view of the fact that diseases one develops as one ages are correlated to the decline of the ability to remove oxides generated and accumulated in one’s body, Sunstar and Joslin Diabetes Center embarked on joint research on functional food that would help revitalize the body’s ability to remove such oxides.
April 2005:
Sunstar began cooperating with Joslin Diabetes Center in its Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI), and subsequently has continued to do so each year afterward. Sunstar entered the fourth year of cooperation with Joslin in April 2008.
April 2008:
An agreement was concluded between Joslin and Sunstar to provide educational programs about the link between diabetes and gum disease and other oral health issues, as well as the link between diabetes and nutrition.
Profiles
● About Joslin Diabetes Center
The Joslin Diabetes Center is the world’s largest diabetes clinic, diabetes research center and provider of diabetes education. Joslin is dedicated to ensuring people with diabetes live long, healthy lives and offers real hope and progress toward diabetes prevention and a cure for the disease. Founded in 1898 by Elliott P. Joslin, M.D., Joslin is an independent non-profit institution affiliated with Harvard Medical School. For more information, visit: www.joslin.org.
● About Sunstar
Sunstar is one of the Top Ten oral-care companies in the world and a world leader in the motorcycle parts business. The company was originally founded in 1932 as a manufacturer and seller of rubber glue for bicycle tires and metal tubes. Over the past decades it has developed a number of distinctive businesses based on its own leading-edge technologies. Today, Sunstar is a leading global company in the Mouth & Body Care field, a major presence in the Health & Beauty Care and the Environment & Amenity business fields, and a world-leader in the Safety Support & High Technology field. Its products and services are distributed in more than 90 countries. Sunstar’s decided to locate its World Headquarters in Etoy, Switzerland in 2002 to provide the base for Sunstar’s overall global management functions. For more information, visit: http://www.sunstar.com/.
● About Sunstar Inc.
Sunstar Inc. is the central company of the Sunstar Group and has about 1,500 employees. It posted 70.5 billion yen in consolidated net sales during the fiscal year, which ended March 2007.
・Headquarters: Takatsuki City, Osaka, Japan
・Established: 1950
・Main businesses: Manufacture and sales of Mouth & Body Care and Health & Beauty Care products. For more information, visit: http://jp.sunstar.com/.
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Sunstar Inc., Japan
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