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La Buena Vida

Salud

An Ounce of Prevention

As more latinos develop diabetes, understanding the basics has become a question of health.

Diabetes affects nearly 21 million Americans, and one in every 10 Latinos. While a cure remains elusive, prevention and treatments exist. Here are some of the most important diabetes questions answered:
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which the body either does not produce or does not properly use insulin, which is a hormone necessary for the body to use glucose (sugar) for energy. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the blood and cannot enter the body’s cells. Initially, cells are starved for energy. Over time, high glucose levels damage nerves and blood vessels.
Who is most affected by diabetes?
Although diabetes affects people of all ages and ethnic groups, it is more common as people age, and affects African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in greater numbers.
What are the risk factors for developing diabetes?
In addition to age and ethnicity, people with a parent, brother, or sister with diabetes are also at increased risk. Other high-risk groups include people with obesity, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, high cholesterol and heart disease.
How can diabetes be prevented?
Following a healthy diet low in fat and exercising can help with weight loss and lower one’s risk. Lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels will also lower your risk.
What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes?
Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because its symptoms can be insidious and appear harmless. They include frequent urination, excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, extreme hunger, blurry vision, increased fatigue and irritability.
What are the health complications associated with diabetes?
Having diabetes increases a person’s risk for developing many serious health complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy) and kidney damage (nephropathy). Diabetics can also develop many foot problems due to poor blood flow and nerve damage.
Is there a cure?
Although diabetes is not curable, people with diabetes can lead long and healthy lives with proper control of blood glucose, healthy diets and keeping physically active.
What is new in diabetes research?
With millions affected, diabetes research is ongoing in pharmaceutical, university, and governmental research centers. Most recently, the FDA approved the first drug, Januvia, in yet a new class of medications, the DDP-4 inhibitors, which work at the pancreatic cellular level to improve blood sugars.

More information about diabetes is available in English at:
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/
and www.diabetes.org
And in Spanish at:
www.cdc.gov/diabetes/spanish/
and www.diabetes.org/espanol/