November is American Diabetes Month. A little vague on what diabetes is, eh? Has something to do with blood. . . but what? Are people born with it or do they catch it? Isn't that amputee down the street a diabetic? You can learn about diabetes, and the more than 16 million Americans who are known to have it, by visiting the site of the American Diabetes Association. You will also find information about diabetes at weblogs this months. I've joined many other bloggers in Blogging for a Cure.
Though diabetes is a medical condition that impacts the entire American population to a nearly epidemic extent, some groups suffer from the disease more than others. African Americans and Native Americans are particularly susceptible. Asian Americans are becoming more susceptible and Asians will be half of diabetics worldwide by 2025.
Today, diabetes mellitus is one of the most serious health challenges facing the United States. The following statistics illustrate the magnitude of this disease among African Americans.
2.3 million African Americans have diabetes.
For every six white Americans who have diabetes, 10 African Americans have diabetes.
Approximately 10.8 percent of all African Americans have diabetes.
African Americans with diabetes are more likely to develop diabetes complications and experience greater disability from the complications than white Americans with diabetes.
Death rates for people with diabetes are 27 percent higher for African Americans compared with whites.
Most persons of West African descent have Type II diabetes, which is caused by depressed insulin secretion and the body resisting usage of whatever insulin is available. There are two theories about what causes the high rate of diabetes among Americans of color. Some researchers believe there is a genetic basis. Others assert environmental and lifestyle differences, such as being overweight and lack of physical activity, are at fault. Both are more common among African Americans than among white Americans.
Native Americans have diabetes at an even greater rate than African Americans. In addition, Indian children are more likely to be diagnosed as diabetics.
About 15 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives who receive care from the Indian Health Service have been diagnosed with diabetes, a total of 105,000 people. On average, American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.6 times as likely to have diagnosed diabetes as non-Hispanic whites of a similar age. The available data probably underestimate the true prevalence of diabetes in this population. For example, 40 to 70 percent of American Indian adults age 45 to 74 were found to have diabetes in a recent screening study in three geographic areas. Data from the Navajo Health and Nutrition Survey, published in 1997, showed that 22.9 percent of Navajo adults age 20 and older had diabetes. Fourteen percent had a history of diabetes, but another 7 percent were found to have undiagnosed diabetes during the survey.
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1 - Inderpreet Singh
Diabetes Mellitus