November is National Diabetes Month – an annual observation established to educate and raise awareness about this challenging chronic disease. While diabetes affects millions of people and families across the country, myths and misinformation are still prevalent, which can be problematic when addressing how to prevent and manage the disease. During November, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) encourages you to use the materials in our toolkit to help educate and raise awareness about diabetes among your loved ones and community members.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. This disease can remain silent for years, but ultimately may cause serious health complications, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and lower-extremity amputations. Overall, diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. As of 2011, diabetes affects 25.8 million people, or 8.3 percent, of the U.S. population. The CDC estimates that this includes 18.8 million diagnosed individuals and seven million undiagnosed individuals.
While diabetes impacts every person it touches, this chronic disease has a disproportionate impact on diverse communities, including Hispanics. In fact, Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to have diabetes compared to the non-Hispanic white population. This is due to several factors, including obesity, hypertension, inactivity and high cholesterol. Moreover, in 2010, more than a quarter of older Americans ages 65 and older had diabetes. For those of us who have diabetes or have a diabetic loved one, we know first-hand how the impact of this disease goes beyond the medical complications that patients eventually develop. Diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes represent large medical costs. It also hurts the economy as it causes disability, lost productivity and premature mortality. In 2007 alone, the total cost of diabetes was $218 billion.
While there is no cure to for diabetes, there are ways to prevent it, manage it and/or avoid complications. Among these are:
- Maintaining a healthy diet
- Participating in physical activity every day (i.e. walking, dancing, exercise, etc.)
- Educating yourself and loved ones about diabetes, its symptoms and how to prevent and/or manage it
- Working with your doctor to create a wellness plan and following his/her instructions
As a result of the high rate of diabetes in the Hispanic community, NHCOA created Salud y Bienestar (Health and Well-Being) – a national flagship program that educates and informs Hispanic older adults, their families and caregivers on how to prevent and/or manage diabetes and its complications. Originally funded by the CDC, Salud y Bienestar has helped thousands of Latino seniors and families over the last several years make healthier lifestyle changes.
