Diabetes: A Case Study

Public health emphasizes the importance of prevention and proactively taking care of one’s body. As people grow older, they must follow certain guidelines to ensure that they age healthily and successfully. One of the biggest concerns facing the aging population is chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are long term diseases that have a slow progression. Once chronic diseases pass “certain symptomatic or diagnostic thresholds,” they become a permanent aspect of an individual’s life because “medical and personal regimens can sometimes control but can rarely cure them” (Albert and Freeman 105). One chronic condition that is a cause of concern is diabetes. Diabetes is not only one of the leading causes of death in the over 65 population but

(2012) suggest that, “genetic ancestry has a significant association with type 2 diabetes above and beyond its association with non-genetic risk factors for type 2 diabetes in African Americans, but no single gene with a major effect is sufficient to explain a large portion of the observed population difference in risk of diabetes. and that there is a interplay among specific genetic factors, which may both be associated with overall admixture, leading to the observed ethnic differences in diabetes

The American Diabetes Association (2004) defines diabetes as a subset of metabolic diseases associated with hyperglycemia secondary to insulin failing to release, act, or both. Complications related to chronic diabetes can be detrimental to one’s health including but not limited to: heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, amputations, blindness, and other optical diseases. Furthermore, the prevalence of diabetes is rising at an astronomical rate within the United States as well as internationally. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2016) an estimated 29 million people suffer with diabetes and 86 million are prediabetic within the United States (US). Without major interventions from the healthcare community,

Many studies have examined the link between poverty and diabetes. The CDC (2015b) have identified the following as primary factors that lead an individual to have an increased risk of developing diabetes: being overweight or obese; having a parent or sibling with diabetes; having African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino heritage; having a history of gestational diabetes; having blood pressure measuring 140/90 or higher; abnormal cholesterol; and being physically inactive.

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).

In 2002, among adults, there was an estimated 8.7% prevalence of diabetes. However, rather than there being a prevalence of the disease in the population as a whole, it was found more in specific population subgroups, such as the homeless population. There are certain risk factors these subgroups have that are either associated with diabetes or directly cause it. There is never a 100% correlation of development of diabetes

Uncontrolled diabetes can affect nearly every organ of the body; of which, heart disease and kidney failure are most commonly impacted. Known as diabetes mellitus, a collective term for various blood abnormalities, the term diabetes refers to either a scarcity of insulin in the body or the body’s inability to accept insulin. Though the symptoms of diabetes are manageable, many are unaware as to having it. According to the CDC report “2011 Diabetes Fact Sheet,” approximately 6 million people in the United States have undiagnosed diabetes. Undetected, diabetes can become deadly. In a recent World Health Organization report “Diabetes Action Now: An Initiative of the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation,” it

The impact of diabetes on African Americans is disproportionate. An estimated four million of African Americans with the age of twenty and above are diabetic. They are more prone to have diabetes as compared to non-Hispanic whites. Once an African American reaches the age of 65,

Another health issue that African Americans struggle with is diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that involves the body producing high levels of blood glucose levels (Powers, Dodd & Noland, 2006). There are two types of diabetes; type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is known as the juvenile onset diabetes and caused by a lack of insulin production and secretion while type 2 is characterized by deficiency of insulin production, decreased production of insulin and increased insulin production and can usually be controlled by diet and exercise (Smeltzer & Bare, 2003). African Americans are twice as likely to

In the assigned reading article, researchers propose that minority populaces are at higher risk for diabetes than the social majority. This risk is directly linked to a decreased sense of educational attainment and high levels of

Over the past 30 years, the rate of diabetes in African American populations has tripled. Prevalence of diabetes in adults is 1.4 times as frequent in African Americans as in Caucasians. The increased prevalence is not dependent on gender.2 Additionally, nearly half of adults who meet the criteria for

Did you know diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States? (Fukunaga, 2011). Many are unaware approximately 25.8 million American’s, 8.3% of the population suffer from diabetes. Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM II) is by far the most prevalent and accounts for 90-95 percent of the 25.8 million diabetic patients. The long term complications of DM II make it a devastating disease. It is the leading cause of adult blindness, end-stage kidney disease, and non-traumatic lower limb amputation (Lewis, Dirksen, Heitkemper, & Bucher 2014, p. 1154). Not only is diabetes debilitating to patients but also the health and employment costs are substantial. According to Fukunaga (2011), “The estimated national cost of diabetes exceeds

Many studies have examined the link between poverty and diabetes. The CDC (2015b) have identified the following as primary factors that lead an individual to have an increased risk of developing diabetes: being overweight or obese; having a parent or sibling with diabetes; having African American, American Indian, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or Hispanic American/Latino heritage; having a history of gestational diabetes; having blood pressure measuring 140/90 or higher; abnormal cholesterol; and being physically inactive.

Diabetes is associated with wide range of complications such as chronic renal failure, blindness, amputations, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and neuropathy (Alotabi, A., et al., 2016). There is no known cure for diabetes, but the disease can be controlled through health management that includes multiple perspectives of care such as medications, blood glucose monitoring, diet, nutrition, screening for long-term complications and regular physical activity (Alotabi, A., et al., 2016). Managing diabetes may be complicated and requires the knowledge and skills of both healthcare providers and the clients. Studies have shown that to prevent or delay diabetic complications due to diabetes, counseling and other lifestyle interventions are the effective therapy. Even with many policies set up for diabetes, 8.1 million Americans are undiagnosed with diabetes mellitus, and approximately 86 million Americans ages 20 and older have blood glucose levels that considerably increase their risk of developing Diabetes Mellitus in the next several years (CDC, 2015). For diabetes care to be successful there needs to be a good understanding of the disease and management by both patients and healthcare providers,

Diabetes is a major problem in our society today. Many people have heard about the disease; however, they do not know too much about its complications. Diabetes is a chronic, progressive and lifelong condition that affects the body’s ability to use the energy found in food (WebMD, 2016). Many new cases are confirmed every year and unfortunately, many go undiagnosed for years. Diabetes is a serious disease and need to be taking seriously. The disease can lead to many other health problems such as blindness, nerve damage and kidney diseases. The more the community understand and made aware of the seriousness of the disease, the better it can be control and or prevented.