Diabetes : A Disease Characterized By High Levels Of Blood Glucose

The incidences of diabetes are growing annually, and predicted to increase within the coming decades. The number of cases yearly is not only increasing, but the age of onset for diabetes has decreased. This means more individuals are developing diabetes at an earlier age. Diabetes not only affects individuals and communities but countries as well. The prevalence of diabetes has gathered billions of dollars in healthcare costs. [1]Type 2 diabetes also leads to other serious medical conditions such as heart disease, renal failure, blindness, and tissue damage in extremities that will eventually lead to amputation. These illnesses, as a result, result in further costs in the form of disability and the loss of a portion of our workforce. However, incidences of type 2 diabetes are in higher occurrence amongst Hispanic groups. According to the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Mexican Americans have an unusually high prevalence of diabetes compared to that of the general population [2]. Hispanic females have the highest lifetime risk of becoming diabetic – 52% [3], compared to that of the average risk of

Hispanics households with low socioeconomic status and low education coupled with low diabetes awareness have high type 2 diabetes prevalence 9. The high prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes can be attributed to a number of reasons such as; the Latinos have a genetic tendency to develop insulin resistance and they face high risks for abdominal obesity. The study emphasized that the strongest predictors of developing type 2 diabetes in Hispanic population are impaired insulin sensitivity, low insulin secretion and and glucose effectiveness 1. In addition, the prevalence rates are high in poor families who have poor nutrition and lifestyle behaviors. Since poor families have low access to education, they tend to have low awareness for diabetes hence these results in high diabetes prevalent rates. The results of the study indicated that incidence of diabetes decreased with rising educational level in Hispanic population

Based on the United States census, it is estimated that by the year 2050 one in three people living in the United Sates will be of Hispanic/Latino origin which include sub groups like Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban, Central Americans, and South Americans (Heart Association, 2014). Within those subgroups, the prevalence varied for people of Mexican descent from as high of 18.3 percent to as low as 10.3 percent for people of South American descent, Dominicans and Puerto Rican descent 18.1 percent, Central American descent and Cubans descent 13.4 percent all living in the United States with diabetes type 2. On another commentary being published in the same issue of Diabetes Care, the author wrote, “the differences in diabetes and obesity prevalence among Latinos subgroups are marked when all individuals are combined into a single group” (Heart Association, 2014). Diabetes in Latino Americans has become more prevalence with aging, by the time they reach the age of 70 years, 44.3 percent of Latino men age 70 years old to 74 years old will have develop diabetes. The same study also indicated that the longer Latino Americans live in the United States the more likely they will develop diabetes, that is according to the education and income level of the person. The study also shows

While only 7.6 percent of non-Hispanic whites and 9 percent of Asian-Americans have diabetes, 12.8 percent of Hispanics have diabetes. Other high-risk ethnic groups are non-Hispanic blacks (13.2 percent) and American Indians/Alaskan Natives (15.9 percent). For Hispanics living in the United States, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is lower in those coming from Central and South America (8.5 percent) or Cuba (9.3 percent), but higher for those who are Mexican American (13.9 percent) and Puerto Rican (14.8 percent), who comprise the majority of Hispanic immigrants in the U.S. (Valencia, Oropesa-Gonzalez, Hogue & Florez,

Diabetes is a prevalent health disparity among the Latino population. Diabetes is listed as the fifth leading cause of death among the Latino population in the website for Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, in 2009. According to McBean, “the 2001 prevalence among Hispanics was significantly higher than among blacks.” (2317) In other words among the Hispanic or Latino community, there is a higher occurrence of diabetes as compared to other racial/ethnic groups such as Blacks and Native Americans. The prevalence of diabetes among Latinos is attributed to the social determinants of health such as low socioeconomic status and level of education. Further, this becomes an important public health issue when it costs the

Diabetes as describes by health. NY. GOV is a disease in which blood glucose (blood sugar) levels are above normal ("Diabetes Basics," 2007). This can lead to a range of serious health consequences, “including vision loss, nerve damage and numbness, high blood pressure, kidney disease, heart disease and death” (DiNapoli, 2015). Diabetes is a growing epidemic in New York City among all age group but has grown significantly over the years among adults especially African American and other minority groups. In 2007, data report from the New York City Health Department reported that “diabetes was higher in NYC than in the U.S. overall (9.1% vs 7.5%). (NYC health data).

The Hispanic population is constantly growing and we have an estimated 13.7% of Hispanics making up the United States. “The annual percentage of patients with prediabetes in whom overt type 2 diabetes develops is about 5% in the general US population and may reach 15% in the Hispanic American population” (Idrogo & Mazze, 2004, para. 7). This a community health issue because of the percentage of Hispanic individuals that may end up with diabetes. These individuals need to be educated to help the promotion, protection, and maintenance of diabetes in this group. That is why I have created the intervention program for this ethnic group.

However, due to the United States’ aging population, along with an increasing prevalence of obesity, diabetes is on the increase. Of the approximately 313 million population count in the United States, 97 million adults are overweight or obese. “Both excess body fat and physical inactivity predispose to type 2 diabetes. Several ethnic groups are particularly susceptible to Type 2 diabetes” (Scott 1134). Hispanics, blacks,

Hispanics represents one of the most dramatic and important demographic trends affecting the United States (Escarce, Morales, & Rumbaut, 2006). Some common chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cancer are some of the medical issues that plague the Hispanic community. Diabetes Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics have higher rates of Type 2 diabetes. Due to the higher prevalence of diabetes in Hispanics, the burden of complications attributable to diabetes is greater for Hispanics than for other groups (Escarce et al., 2006). Complications of

The incidence of diabetes is rising among the residents of California at alarming rates. Approximately 55% of the adults in California are estimated to have either diabetes or prediabetes according to the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research 2016 study on prediabetes (UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, 2016). This is especially concerning for the Hispanic residents within the state as they make up the largest ethnic group in California, at more than 38% of the population (United States Census Bureau, 2015). As the total number of Hispanics in California raises so too has the number of Hispanics diagnosed with diabetes. This literature review explores some of the culture, traditions, and beliefs of the Hispanic population related to diabetes and the need for cultural and linguistic competence to improve health care delivery.

The Hispanic community faces many challenges in America. One of the major health issues that affect this community is obesity. If not treated, obesity will eventually result in other chronic health problems like diabetes, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. Creating an environment that will foster healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle will enable this group to avoid diabetes or hypertension in the future. Managing existing diabetes is also critical for this at risk group to avoid the chronic problems that may arise form uncontrolled diabetes.

First, for Latinos, studies have found that the prevalence of total diabetes, diagnosed and undiagnosed, among all Hispanic/Latino groups was roughly 16.9 percent of both men and women, compared to 10.2 percent of non-Hispanic whites. However, when looking at Hispanic/Latino groups individually, it found that prevalence varied from a high of 18.3 percent for those of Mexican descent to a low of 10.2 percent for people of South American descent. The study showed 18.1 percent of people of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent; 17.7 percent of Central American descent; and 13.4 percent of Cuban descent living in the United States had type 2 diabetes (Alexandria, 2014). As people believe, also prevalence rose dramatically with age, reaching more than 50 percent for Hispanic/Latino women by the time they reached age 70 and 44.3 percent for men aged 70-74.

Diabetes is continuing to progress in minorities and published in 2011 indicate that about 26 million Americans have diabetes, or about 8.3% of the US population. An additional, 79 million Americans have pre-diabetes, placing them at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. (Hill J, Galloway JM, Goley A, et al. 2013). The public health burden of diabetes is even more evident in most racial and ethnic minority groups. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and other comorbidities, including mortality, are higher for African Americans and Hispanics, the largest racial/ethnic minority groups in the US. Despite the reported successes seen in several national diabetes prevention and control studies, there is still more to be done to understand the best mechanisms for translating the results to patient care ( Spruill, IJ, Magwood GS, Nemeth, L. S & Williams, TH

Diabetes is a common chronic disease that causes problems in the way the blood uses food. The inability of the body to transform the sugar into energy is called diabetes. Glucose, a simple sugar, is the primary source of fuel for our bodies. When food is digested, some of the food will be converted into glucose which is then transferred from the blood into the cells however, insulin, which is produced by beta cells in the pancreas is needed. In individuals with diabetes, this process is impaired.

Well this all starts with knowing what glucose is. Most of the sugar in your body is called glucose. Glucose’s main job is to supply the body with energy. The body breaks down glucose. Releasing energy, water and carbon dioxide. It used by almost all tissues in the body, and is the only fuel the brain can use. If your glucose is too high or low this is caused by diabetes.