Diabetes

Blacks get diabetes 60% more than Whites. Know your risks and how to prevent the disease.

Diabetes

Know the risk factors

Blacks get diabetes 60% more than Whites. Know your risks and how to prevent the disease.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.
Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells to be used for energy.
With diabetes your body doesn’t make enough insulin, can’t use it as well as it should, or simply does not respond to it. As a result your blood glucose levels can become dangerously high.

TYPE 1

Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile-onset diabetes because it is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults. It is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that stops your body from making insulin.

TYPE 2

Type 2 diabetes used to be called “non-insulin dependent diabetes” or “adult-onset diabetes”, and accounts for at least 90-95% of all cases of diabetes. With type 2, your body doesn’t use insulin well and can’t keep blood sugar at normal levels.

GESTATIONAL

Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes consisting of high blood glucose levels during pregnancy.

Prediabetes affects more than 1 in 3 adults. With prediabetes, blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Prediabetes raises your risk for type 2 diabetes. However, you can reverse it by making healthy lifestyle changes.

symptoms

New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
Pain in any area of the breast.

Risk Factors

Getting older
Genetic mutations
Having dense breasts.
Personal history of breast cancer
Family history of breast or ovarian cancer

Ways to Prevent

Type 1 diabetes can’t be prevented. However, healthy lifestyle choices can help prevent and reduce the effects of prediabetes, type 2, and gestational diabetes:

Eat healthy foods
Get more physical activity
Lose excess pounds
Know your A1C

The A1C is a simple blood test done in a lab or at your doctor’s office. This test determines your average blood sugar level over the past 2 to 3 months.

For many adults with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association recommends an A1C goal of less than 7%.

Who is at RisK?

Type 1 Diabetes:

Family history of diabetes
Exposure to environmental factors or viruses
Presence of damaging immune system cells

Type 2 Diabetes:

Prediabetic
Had gestational diabetes
Being overweight or obese
Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes
People of color are more at risk for diabetes
45 years or older
Previous gestational diabetes
Polycystic ovary syndrome
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Having high blood pressure
Abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels

Gestational Diabetes:

Had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy
Women older than age 25
Family or personal history
Being overweight before pregnancy
Women of color are more at risk
Have Polycystic ovary syndrome

treatment & complications

Controlling blood sugar (glucose) levels is the major goal of diabetes treatment.

Type 1 diabetes is managed with insulin as well as dietary changes and exercise.
Type 2 diabetes may be managed with non-insulin medications, insulin, weight reduction, or dietary changes.

Complications of Diabetes

The longer you have diabetes, and the less controlled your blood sugar is, the higher the risk of complications. Eventually, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening.

Complications of diabetes can include:

An increased risk of heart disease or stroke.
Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. For men, it may lead to erectile dysfunction.
Kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Damaged blood vessels of the retina potentially leading to blindness.
Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. These infections may ultimately require toe, foot or leg amputation.
Skin conditions including bacterial and fungal infections.
Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Depression symptoms are common.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should get your blood sugar tested:

Increased thirst
Frequent urination
Extreme hunger
Unexplained weight loss
Presence of ketones in the urine
Fatigue
Have very dry skin
Blurred vision
Slow-healing sores
Frequent infections, such as gums or skin infections and vaginal infections

STATISTICS FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR

More than 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 of them don’t know they have it.
African Americans are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. In addition, they are more likely to suffer complications from diabetes, such as end-stage renal disease and lower extremity amputations.
In 2018, non-Hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes.
African American adults are 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
In 2017, non-Hispanic blacks were 3.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with end stage renal disease as compared to non-Hispanic whites.
In 2017, non-Hispanic blacks were 2.3 times more likely to be hospitalized for lower limb amputations as compared to non-Hispanic whites.

Learn more about the Stats at GRAAHI's Health Equity Index

Links, Tools, Resources

Links to resources- assessments, diagnostic tools, more specific information/subtopics

Take this quiz to find out you risk for prediabetes: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/takethetest/
A diabetes education programs will help you gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive with diabetes. Find a diabetes education program near you: https://www.diabetes.org/tools-support/diabetes-education-program

Lifestyle change programs exist to help you reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and improve your overall health. Find a lifestyle change program near you: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/prevention/find-a-program.html