The Diabetes Epidemic Among Hispanics/Latinos
WHAT IS DIABETES?
Diabetes is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death, but people with diabetes can take steps to control the disease and lower the risk of complications.
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Total health care and related costs for the treatment of diabetes run about $174 billion annually.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DIABETES?
Type 1 diabetes (formerly called juvenile diabetes) results when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys its own insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. People with type 1 diabetes must have insulin delivered by injection or a pump. Symptoms of type 1 diabetes – increased thirst and urination, constant hunger, weight loss, blurred vision, and extreme fatigue – usually develop over a short period of time. If type 1 diabetes is not diagnosed and treated, a person can lapse into a life-threatening coma.
Type 1 diabetes accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes, (formerly called adult-onset diabetes) occurs when the body does not make enough insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes effectively. This form of diabetes usually develops in adults over the age of 40 but is becoming more prevalent in younger age groups – including children and adolescents. The symptoms of type 2 diabetes – feeling tired or ill, unusual thirst, frequent urination (especially at night), weight loss, blurred vision, frequent infections, and slow-healing wounds – may develop gradually and may not be as noticeable as in type 1 diabetes. Some people have no symptoms.
Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
A person is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they:
o have a family history of diabetes
o are a member of an ethnic group like Hispanics/Latinos
o are overweight or obese
o are 45 year old or older
o have had diabetes while pregnant (gestational diabetes)
o have high blood pressure
o have abnormal cholesterol (lipid) levels
o are not getting enough physical activity
o have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
o have blood vessel problems affecting the heart, brain or legs
o have dark, thick and velvety patches of skin around the neck and armpits (This is called acanthosis nigricans.)
Gestational diabetes develops during pregnancy. Women who have had gestational diabetes have a 40 to 60 percent chance of developing diabetes, mostly type 2, in the next five to 10 years.
HOW MANY HISPANICS/LATINOS HAVE DIABETES?
10.4 percent of Hispanics/Latinos ages 20 years or older have diagnosed diabetes.
Among Hispanics/Latinos, diabetes prevalence rates are 8.2 percent for Cubans, 11.9 percent for Mexican Americans, and 12.6 percent for Puerto Ricans.
WHAT IS THE LINK BETWEEN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND DIABETES?
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for people with diabetes – about two out of three people with diabetes die of heart disease or stroke.
Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about two to four times higher than adults without diabetes.
The risk for stoke is two to four times higher among people with diabetes.
About 75 percent of adults with diabetes also have high blood pressure.
Smoking doubles the risk for heart disease in people with diabetes.
WHAT CAN HISPANICS/LATINOS DO TO PREVENT HEART DISEASE OR STROKE AND OTHER DIABETES COMPLICATIONS?
Diabetes is a self-managed disease. People with diabetes must take responsibility for their day-to-day care. The chances of having diabetes complications can be reduced or delayed significantly by keeping blood glucose (blood sugar), blood pressure, and cholesterol levels (called the ABCs of Diabetes) in the target range.
The National Diabetes Education Program recommends the following targets for reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke for most people with diabetes:
A1C (Blood Glucose)
Less than 7 percent**
(check at least twice a year)
Blood Pressure
Less than 130/80 mmHg
(check every doctor’s visit)
Cholesterol (LDL)
Less than 100 mg/dl
(check once a year)
**Targets should be individualized – less stringent targets may be advised with severe hypoglycemia, limited life expectancy, other medical conditions, or longstanding diabetes.
People with diabetes can manage their disease by eating healthy foods, being physically active, taking diabetes medicine as prescribed and testing blood glucose levels.
Community education and support programs can help people with diabetes and their families to manage their diabetes.
CAN TYPE 2 DIABETES BE PREVENTED?
YES! The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), an important trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, and the DPPOS, the 10 year follow up study to the DPP, showed that type 2 diabetes can be delayed or prevented in overweight adults with pre-diabetes, including Hispanics/Latinos. Pre-diabetes is a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.
Risk factors for pre-diabetes are the same as those listed for type 2 diabetes.
To prevent diabetes, the people who participated in the DPP study:
Lost 5 to 7 percent of their body weight (that is 10 to 14 pounds for a person who weighs 200 pounds).
Were physically active for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Most participants chose brisk walking.
Made healthier food choices and limited the amount of calories and fat in their diet.
WHERE CAN I GO FOR MORE INFORMATION?
For more information about preventing and controlling diabetes, call 1-888-693-NDEP (6337) or visit the National Diabetes Education Program website at www.YourDiabetesInfo.org.
Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) , National Institute of Health (NIH)
Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
Source: Uploaded by EinsteinCollegeofMed on May 18, 2009 to YouTube
Note: This video is for your information, the study described is already in progress.
The Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is a multi-center epidemiologic study of 16,000 Hispanic/Latino participants in four U.S. cities: New York, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego.
The study will determine the role that adopting cultural practices of the U.S. has on the prevalence and development of disease, and will identify risk factors playing a protective or harmful role in Hispanics/Latinos.
The study is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI http://www.cscc.unc.edu/hchs/links ) and six other institutes, centers, and offices of the National Institutes of Health (NIH http://www.cscc.unc.edu/hchs/links ).
The Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is a multi-center epidemiologic study in Hispanic/Latino populations to determine the role of acculturation in the prevalence and development of disease, and to identify risk factors playing a protective or harmful role in Hispanics/Latinos. The study is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and six other institutes, centers, and offices of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Study goals include studying the prevalence and development of disease in Hispanics/Latinos, the role of acculturation, and to identify risk factors that play protective or harmful roles in Hispanics/Latinos. The target population of 16,000 persons of Hispanic/Latino origin, specifically Cuban, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Central/South American, to be recruited through four Field Centers affiliated with San Diego State University, Northwestern University in Chicago, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx area of New York, and the University of Miami. Seven additional academic centers serve as scientific and logistical support centers.
Study participants aged 18-74 years will undergo an extensive clinic exam and assessments to determine baseline risk factors. Annual follow-up interviews will be conducted for 2-4 years to determine health outcomes of interest. Study results will be disseminated through scientific journals and also conveyed to the communities involved in the study in order to improve public health at the local level.
The Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos is
sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
and six other centers and Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Talking to Your Family About Kidney Disease
Talking to Your Family About Kidney Disease
- Why should my family know about kidney disease?
- What should I tell my family about kidney disease?
- How can I help my family prevent kidney failure?
- T.E.S.T. your family members
- Where can I get more information?
Why should my family know about kidney disease?
- Kidney disease runs in families.
- Even if only one person in a family has kidney failure, all blood relatives should be tested for kidney disease.
- With early treatment, kidney disease can be slowed and dialysis or a transplant may be avoided.
What should I tell my family about kidney disease?
- Diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney failure.
- Managing your blood sugar and blood pressure may help the kidneys stay healthy.
- Get tested for kidney disease because it runs in families.
- Blood and urine tests are the only way to find out if you have kidney disease because there are no early warning signs.
- Finding kidney disease early and treating it can slow kidney damage and may prevent kidney failure.
How can I help my family prevent kidney failure?
Tell your family members to talk to their doctors about getting tested for kidney disease. Doing this may be difficult, but it can help save their lives.
T.E.S.T. your family members
- Teach them that kidney disease runs in families.
- Encourage them to get tested for kidney disease.
- Support their efforts to manage their diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Tell them where they can find more information.
Where can I get more information?
NKDEP provides free educational materials and resources for patients and their families.
Last Reviewed: June 30, 2010
Source:
NKDEP is an initiative of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),
National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS).
U.S. Department of
Health & Human Services
Our Daily Bread “…Nuestra pan de cada dia…”
Faith and community leaders discuss the health disparities that exist within LA, with a specific focus on the lack of access to quality foods and good jobs in low income communities due to the paucity of quality grocery stores (particularly South LA).
The community calls on the grocery industry to reinvest in low income communities like South LA, East LA and the Northeast Valley, in an effort to create good jobs and increase access to quality food and produce in such communities, where health inequities are prevalent.
Source: ClueLosAngeles1 on YouTube
http://cluela.org and http://www.clueca.org
Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic
By Mike Fletcher
According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there are 15.7 million Americans who have diabetes. This disease is the main cause of blindness in people between the ages of twenty and seventy and is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.
If this disease is not properly managed, diabetes can cause kidney disease, hypertension, heart disease, edema, neuropathy, and infections of the mouth, feet, skin, lungs and genitalia. The skin infections do not heal properly and can even lead to amputation of extremities.
Type 2 diabetes has become the most common form of disease affecting 90-95 percent of the people who have diabetes. For people who have type II diabetes, not enough insulin is manufactured by the pancreas. Another problem is that the cells can become insulin resistant. When this happens, glucose accumulates in the blood instead of entering the cells.
Type 2 diabetes usually develops later in life; however, the disease is now becoming more common in people in their thirties and even late twenties.
The most common risk factors among those who develop this condition include diet, weight, race, age, lack of exercise and genetics. The most common ethnic groups to have type 2 diabetes are Latinos, American Indians, African-Americans, and American Asians.
The real danger of diabetes is the complications associated from inconsistent insulin levels and elevated blood glucose. One dangerous complication is diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), or another dangerous condition known as hyperosmolar syndrome. DKA happens when insulin levels are so low that the body starts metabolizing stored fat to use as fuel. When the fat breaks down, a by-product is released that is known as ketones which cause the body to become too acidic.
Ketoacidosis is typically seen in those with type 1 diabetes, but can happen to those with type 2 as well. The symptoms can include nausea, sweet breath, having a hard time breathing and confusion which can lead to a coma.
Hyperosmolar syndrome is a result of elevated blood sugars accompanied with dehydration. This condition is more common in those with type 2 diabetes who also take steroid medications. Hyperosmolar syndrome can also be a result of a stress from another illness. Symptoms can include confusion, tiredness, and in the most severe cases, coma. Often, in older adults, type 2 diabetes is not discovered until the symptoms of hypersmolar syndrome are reported to a doctor.
If you have recently been diagnosed with diabetes, you probably have a lot of questions and may even have a hard time grasping the severity and the responsibilities that come with this condition. It must now become a priority to take care of your body. If you are overweight, it is time to drop those extra pounds. You will also need to cut back on sugars, eat more fiber, and limit fours and white rice and to start a regular exercise regime.
You will also want to make an appointment with an optometrist make sure that your eyes are in good shape.
Source: Mike Fletcher
Diabetes and Latin Foods – Mas Que Comida, Es Vida
Posted July 3, 2009
CDC Home Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Your Online Source for Credible Health Information
CDC FeaturesCDC Features Choosing Healthy Eating without Giving Up the Foods You Love
Is it possible to enjoy healthy eating without giving up the foods you love? Yes. The nutritional campaign, Más que comida, es vida, has information available in Spanish and English to help control the serious complications of diabetes without giving up the traditional Hispanic and Latin foods you’ve always enjoyed.
Carmen is a 55-year-old Colombian woman who moved to the United States five years ago to help her oldest daughter take care of her new baby. Carmen was raised by her mother and grandmother, both of whom were great cooks. Carmen was a little overweight. This felt normal to her because everyone in her family carried a little extra weight.
Not long ago, Carmen’s doctor told her she has type 2 diabetes. According to her doctor, Carmen’s eating habits that included American fast foods, fried foods, and excessive sweets had raised her blood sugar to unhealthy levels. Carmen immediately gave up eating fast foods and fried foods, but as a precaution also stopped eating all of the Latin dishes she loved, like arepas con chicharrón. She even stopped cooking many of the tasty traditional foods she used to make.
Carmen has since learned that she does not have to abandon the Latin foods she loves in order to control her disease. Thanks to information from a campaign focused on making Hispanics and Latinos aware of what making healthy food choices includes, she is now able to include many traditional dishes in her diet and at the same time control her diabetes. Carmen used information and recipes from the National Diabetes Education Program’s nutritional campaign, Más que comida, es vida (It’s more than food, it’s life.).
Más que comida, es vida (It’s more than food, it’s life.)
The National Diabetes Education Program’s nutritional campaign, Más que comida, es vida (It’s more than food, it’s life.), has materials available in both Spanish and English to help Hispanics and Latinos control the serious complications of diabetes without giving up the traditional foods they love.
This campaign provides resources for dietitians, diabetes educators and people who want to manage their diabetes but don’t want to sacrifice their cultural identity. Más que comida, es vida. addresses diabetes control and prevention through a better understanding of planning and preparing meals and making healthy food choices. It helps the Hispanic and Latin community deal with the cultural barriers of adopting a tasty but nutritional diet.
The campaign features a recipe booklet, Ricas recetas para personas con diabetes y sus familiares (Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes and Their Families), which contains food ideas specifically designed for the Latin American palate. The recipe booklet is an updated version of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) Meal Planner, one of NDEP’s most popular bilingual publications.
Among the delicious and healthy recipes now included in the booklet are Spanish omelet (Tortilla española), Beef or Turkey Stew (Carne guisada de res o pavo), Caribbean Red Snapper (Pargo rojo caribeño), Two Cheese Pizza (Pizza de dos quesos), and Avocado Tacos (Tacos de aguacate).
In addition to the recipe booklet, other campaign components include a poster and print ads available in Spanish and English. Like Carmen, perhaps you are a Hispanic/Latino with diabetes or have a family member, neighbor, friend or co-worker who could benefit from the recipes and other valuable information contained in the recipe booklet.
For a free copy of these materials or to download them online visit the National Diabetes Education Program. You can also call 1-888-693-NDEP to request copies; shipping and handling charges will apply. The call is toll-free and confidential.
Source: National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Diabetes Public Health Resource
Page maintained by: National Center for Health Marketing, Division of eHealth Marketing
URL for this page: http://www.cdc.gov/Features/DiabetesAndLatinos/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA
800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)
Diabetes Amputacion
Warning! This video is extremely graphic. I present it to emphasize the fact that diabetes is no joke. It can become a monster if you allow it. Diabetes can be controlled. You must be diligent and disciplined. You have no choice. Your life can be as fullfilling as anyone else on this planet.
Source: medicina celular, Reprinted from YouTube
Spanish Diabetes
Source: cuttinger, Reprinted from YouTube
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