Diabetes, Ethnicity and Genetics

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

Diabetes is a complex disease which bonds together evolution and environmental factors and creates many health issues for humans. Diabetes (mellitus) is classified into three groups of metabolic diseases that involves high blood sugar (glucose) and it can occur in different ways depending on circumstances. Type 2 diabetes occurs when cells do not function correctly, and evidently the cells do not properly respond to insulin. Type 1 diabetes involves the body’s inadequate production of insulin, which is commonly referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes. What are the links between evolution, the environment and a staggering number of people diagnosed with diabetes?

B. Reason to Listen:   According to the “2013 Fast Fact Sheet” from the American Diabetes Association, nearly 26 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes, which is nearly 10% of the U.S. population.

Diabetes  is a serious health condition that is a chronic illness for the African Americans. Diabetes preventions strategies in African American community can be a tricky task to contain and prevent for several reasons I will discuss in this paper.

The rate of diabetes in the United States is one of the highest compared to other developed countries. An estimate of 9.3% of the population have diabetes, of those with diabetes 27.8% have yet to be diagnosed (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014). This means that approximately 8.1 million people are currently living with diabetes, but are unaware of it. As of 2012, 12.3% of people with diabetes were 20 years old or older, the largest population diagnosed with diabetes were adults 65 years old or older. 25.9% of this population lives with diabetes (CDC, 2014). On a national level, the CDC have launched initiatives that focus on prevention and disease management. The National Diabetes Prevention Program is an example of one such initiative. This program focuses on lifestyle changes,

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 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

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,

Between 1994 and 2004, the rate of diabetes mellitus among American Indians (AI) below the age of 35 doubled, from 8.5 to 17.1 diagnoses per 1,000 individuals,

In the US type 2 diabetes is a major medical problem affecting all ethnic backgrounds and needs to be addressed. The pre-diabetic and diabetic population is steadily increasing every year despite medical advancements. Unfortunately, the African American population is at a disadvantage when it comes to diabetes. Preventing medical complications related to diabetes, initiating health promotion programs, increasing healthy lifestyle behaviors will essentially lead to a decrease risk of complications secondary to diabetes and overall improve patient

"The facts are clear: The diabetes epidemic sweeping the U.S. is hitting the African American community particularly hard, according to doctors." (2) Diabetes is defined as, "A disease that affects the body's ability to produce or respond to insulin, a hormone that allows blood glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cells of the body and be used for energy." (1) There are two types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes, which usually begins during childhood or adolescence, "Is a condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by total lack of insulin. This occurs when the body's immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas

Diabetes is a major medical problem in the US. In the year 2015, it was reported that 86 million Americans are diagnosed with prediabetes (ADA, 2016). Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2016). Research has

An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, "[By 1993] death certificates listed diabetes as the fifth leading cause of death for Blacks aged 45 to 64, and the third leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older in 1990.” (Bailey, 2007). These statistics show how serious the problem of diabetes has become in the black community. Epidemiological studies can focus the efforts of the healthcare community to effective interventions aimed at lowering the prevalence and incidence of diabetes among African Americans.

     According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, about 17 million Americans have diabetes and every year about 1 million more age 20 or older are diagnosed with the disorder. People who are overweight, do not exercise, and are 30 years or older are more likely to get the disease (especially type 2 diabetes). People who are also of African American, Latino/Hispanic, Native American, Alaskan