Health Problems in Hispanic American/Latina Women: Diabetes

You can get diabetes if your body does not use insulin right. Insulin in your body changes the sugars in food into energy. Diabetes, including gestational diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, is more common in Hispanic American/Latinos than in Whites. Mexican Americans, the largest Hispanic/Latino subgroup, are 2 times more likely to have diabetes than Whites. Also, residents of Puerto Rico are 2 times more likely to have diagnosed diabetes than U.S. Whites. Within the Hispanic American/Latino population, diabetes is more prevalent in women than it is in men.

Type 1 diabetes happens when your body destroys its own cells that make insulin. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin. A growing number of children are getting type 2 diabetes. Children have a greater chance of getting type 2 diabetes if they are overweight or if a family member has it.

Although type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, there are steps you can take to prevent type 2 diabetes: control your weight and be active. People with diabetes have a higher chance of having problems with their skin, mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. Hispanic Americans/Latinos have a 2 times higher rate of retinopathy (eye disease) and kidney disease (including end-stage kidney failure). And Hispanic American/Latina women with diabetes are 7.6 times more likely to develop peripheral vascular disease (problems with blood flow in the veins) than non-diabetic women, and three to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke. These problems can be prevented:

See your health care providers regularly. Don't forget about the dentist and eye doctor!

Don't smoke.

Control your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, and your weight.
Exercise (30 minutes most days of the week is best).

Check your feet everyday for blisters, red spots, swelling, or cuts.

Stay aware of how you feel-if you notice a problem, call your health care provider right away.

About 2 to 5% of all pregnant women develop gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy). Mexican American women, especially when they are overweight, have higher rates of gestational diabetes than non-Hispanic White women. Gestational diabetes increases the baby's risk for problems such as macrosomia (large body size) and neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Although women's blood glucose levels generally return to normal after childbirth, an increased risk of getting gestational diabetes in future pregnancies remains. Also, studies show that many women with gestational diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Experts estimate that about half of all women with gestational diabetes develop type 2 diabetes within 20 years of the pregnancy. For Mexican American women, this may be a risk as much as 12% per year.

Publications

¿Cuánto Sabe Sobre la Enfermedad Diabética del Ojo? - ¿Sabía que la enfermedad diabética del ojo es una de las causas principales de ceguera? Si padece de diabetes, ¿sabe cómo reducir el riesgo de perder su visión? Para determinar cuánto sabe sobre esta enfermedad, marque cierto o falso en las siguientes oraciones sobre la enfermedad diabética del ojo.

Diabetes Handout - Spanish Language Materials -

Diabetes Risk Test (Copyright © American Diabetes Association) - This tool is an interactive test that can help you determine your risk for diabetes.

Examen de Riesgo de Diabetes (Copyright © ADA) - Esta hoja informativa es una evaluación del riesgo de la diabetes por la Asociación Americana de Diabetes para asistirle a determinar el riesgo de tener la diabetes.

Facts About: Diabetic Retinopathy - This pamphlet has been written to help people with diabetic retinopathy and their families better understand the disease. It describes the cause, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Tengo Diabetes: ¿Cuándo Debo Comer? - Esta publicación enfatiza la creación de un horario de comidas consistente para una dieta saludable.

Tengo Diabetes: ¿Cuánto Debo Comer? - Dibuja las porciones de comida correctas para una dieta saludable. Reviews diabetes nutrition basics, including what, when, and how much a person with diabetes should eat.

Tengo Diabetes: ¿Qué Debo Comer? - Esta publicación resume las comidas específicas que debe incluir y evitar aquellos que sufren de la diabetes para mantener una dieta saludable.

What I Need to Know about Eating and Diabetes - This publication reviews diabetes nutrition basics, including what, when, and how much a person with diabetes should eat. It discusses healthier ways to buy, cook and eat foods to achieve good blood glucose control.

Organizations

American Diabetes Association

CDC's WISEWOMAN™ - Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation

Division of Diabetes Translation, NCCDPHP, CDC, OPHS, HHS

National Diabetes Education Program

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, NIDDK, NIH, HHS

National Eye Institute, NIH, HHS

Office of Minority Health Resource Center, OMH, OPHS, OS, HHS