|
Diabetes |
Type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of death among Latinos, particularly among those over the age of 45. In 2005, there were 2.5 million Latinos over the age of 18 with Type 2 diabetes, representing about 9.5% of total cases. The prevalence of diabetes varies by age, sex, and socioeconomic status, with older persons, women and poor individuals having the highest prevalence of Type 2 diabetes. It also varies by national origins: Mexican/Mexican-Americans make up 24% if the cases, Puerto Ricans, 26% and Cubans, 16%.
Gestational diabetes, a condition that develops during pregnancy causing serious complications for the mother and the baby, is also quite high among Hispanic/Latino women, particularly among Puerto Ricans (35x1000 live births) and Mexican/ Mexican-Americans (25x1000 live births).
Overweight and obesity are major risk factors for the development of diabetes. About 80% of persons living with diabetes are either overweight or obese. Diabetes leads to premature death, heart diseases, kidney failure, blindness and amputations, among other serious conditions.
A lack of metabolic syndrome and diabetes knowledge, poor lifestyle practices (e.g., poor nutrition and limited or no physical activity), limited access to diabetes services and inadequate quality of diabetes healthcare are some of the many factors responsible for the minimal efforts in prevention of metabolic syndrome and the high level of diabetic complications among the Latino population.
|
|
