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Diabetes in Hispanic Americans
Diabetes in Hispanic Americans is a serious health challenge because of the increased prevalence of diabetes in this population, the greater number of risk factors for diabetes in Hispanics, the greater incidence of several diabetes complications, and the growing number of people of Hispanic ethnicity in the United States.
This overview, from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, details:
How many Hispanic Americans have diabetes?
What genetic, medical and lifestyle factors increase the risk of diabetes?
How do diabetes complications affect Hispanic Americans?
(Click on any of the links above for more information on that topic)
The following statistics illustrate the magnitude of diabetes among Hispanic Americans:
In 2000, of the 30 million Hispanic Americans, about 2 million had been diagnosed with diabetes.
About 10.2% of all Hispanic Americans have diabetes.
On average, Hispanic Americans are 1.9 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites of similar age.
Diabetes is particularly common among middle-aged and older Hispanic Americans. For those age 50 or older, about 25-30% have either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.
Diabetes is twice as common in Mexican American and Puerto Rican adults as in non-Hispanic whites. The prevalence of diabetes in Cuban Americans is lower, but still higher than that of non-Hispanic whites.
As in all populations, having risk factors for diabetes increases the chance that a Hispanic American will develop diabetes. Risk factors seem to be more common among Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites. These factors include a family history of diabetes, gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, obesity, and physical inactivity.
Higher rates of the diabetes complications such as nephropathy (kidney disease), retinopathy (eye disease), and peripheral vascular disease have been documented in studies of Mexican Americans, whereas lower rates of myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) have been found.