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Eliminate Disparities in Diabetes
What is the Burden of Diabetes in the United
States?
Diabetes was the
sixth leading cause of death in the year 2000.1
More than 17 million Americans have diabetes,
and over 200,000 people die each year of related complications.2 Diabetes is a
group of diseases described by high levels of blood glucose resulting from
defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. This disease can
cause serious complications and premature death, but persons with diabetes
can take measures to reduce the likelihood of such occurrences.
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Type 1 diabetes was previously called
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile-onset diabetes.
Risk factors are less well defined for type 1 diabetes than for
type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are
involved in the development of this type of diabetes. |
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Type 2 diabetes was
previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or
adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90 to 95
percent of
all diagnosed cases of diabetes.2 Risk factors for type 2
diabetes include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior
history of gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical
inactivity, and race/ethnicity. |
Examples of Important
Disparities
The following groups are several times more likely to have type 2
diabetes as whites of similar age:3
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Overall, Hispanic/Latinos are 1.9
times. Mexican Americans are 2.0 times. |
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African Americans are 2.0 times |
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American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.6 times |
In addition, Native Hawaiians are 2.5 times more likely to have diagnosed
diabetes than white residents on Hawaii of similar age.3
African Americans and American Indians have higher
rates of diabetes-related complications such as kidney disease and
amputations.4
What is the
Goal?
The target date for
eliminating health disparities is 2010. CDC and other public heath agencies intend to reduce deaths from diabetes
by decreasing the overall rate of complications from diabetes and
eventually by eliminating disparities among different groups.
Promising Strategies
To reduce the rate of
diabetes and its complications among high-risk minority populations:
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Increase early screening and
early treatment |
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Improve care for control of
diabetes and treatment of major complications, including eye and
foot examinations |
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Conduct clinical trials to
prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes in individuals at most risk for
developing the disease. Minorities are most likely to be affected by
type 2 diabetes |
What can
Healthcare Providers do to Reduce the Disparity of Diabetes?
Physicians should take advantage of their patients’
routine office visits to conduct foot and kidney exams, and recommend eye
screenings once a year. Physicians should teach patients to make proper
diabetes management a part of their daily lives. Because many
complications from kidney disease, blindness, and amputations can be
prevented, health care providers should regularly screen their patients
with diabetes. Reducing high blood pressure among people with
diabetes could prevent one-third of
diabetes-related eye, kidney, and nerve diseases. Approximately 60 percent
of diabetes-related blindness could be avoided with good blood glucose
control or by early detection and laser treatments.
About half of all
lower-extremity amputations can be prevented by properly caring for feet
and by reducing risk factors such as abnormally high blood sugar,
cigarette smoking, and high blood pressure.5
What can Individuals do to Decrease Their Risk of Developing Diabetes or
Its Complications?
The increasing rate of diabetes is alarming, but much of this
major public health problem can be prevented with early detection,
improved care, and education on diabetes self-management. For
example, because type 2 diabetes appears to be associated with obesity,
people can change their lifestyles to increase regular physical activity
and eat a low-fat diet. During routine doctor visits, patients with
diabetes should ask for foot exams even if the visit is related to another
health matter.
For more information
about Diabetes:
Sources:
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