African Ancestry
Studies indicate that individuals with African ancestry are almost twice as likely to get Type 2 Diabetes
than Caucasians. However, members of this ethnic group may be able to
control their Diabetes with good nutrition and exercise better than
Caucasians.
According to BlackHealthCare.com ,
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases facing African
Americans. In recent decades, the number of African Americans that have
Diabetes has increased at a staggering rate and currently inflicts over
1.5 million African Americans. Statistically, for every Caucasian
American that gets Diabetes, 1.8 African Americans get the disease and
as many as 25% of African American women over the age of 55 has
Diabetes.
Furthermore, according to statistics, African Americans are more
likely to develop Diabetes complications relating to Diabetes than
Caucasians.
Researchers believe that many African Americans have what the
researchers refer to as a “Thrifty Gene.” The gene allowed African
Americans to survive when food was hard to come by helping them use
food energy more efficiently than other races. This gene may still
affect some African Americans who have difficulty controlling their
weight. This condition also appears to relate to high blood pressure.
African Americans have kidney failure caused by Diabetes about 2.5 to 5.5 times more often than Caucasians. However, the kidney failure is usually the result of hypertension (or high blood pressure)
instead of Diabetes. Keep in mind, though, that high blood pressure is
often associated with Diabetes, so while Diabetes might not be the
primary cause of kidney failure, it may certainly be a factor. When
African Americans have kidney failure, their survival rate is higher
than the rate amongst Caucasians.
On the whole, African Americans with Diabetes experience vision
problems 40% more frequently than Caucasians with Diabetes. Also, twice
as many African Americans go blind as a result of Diabetes and
retinopathy is also more prevalent, compared to Caucasian populations.
The best way to treat and prevent Diabetes and its side effects is
to educate yourself about the disease. You’ll find that many people can
control their Diabetes through nutrition, physical activity, medication, thereby avoiding the harmful complications associated with the disease.
NDEPClick here
to listen or watch a podcast on this subject. This podcast was produced
by the Center for Disease Control and the National Diabetes Education
Program. It’s about a family lifestyle approach to diabetes prevention.
