Is Diabetes Hereditary?
Diabetes and Asian / Pacific Islander Ancestry
Researchers are continuing to study the link between diabetes and Asians and Pacific Islanders, yet there has not been a great deal of information published about the link between diabetes and Asians and Pacific Islanders. However, studies have found that Native Hawaiians are twice as likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes than Caucasians and that Japanese men are about 60% more likely to develop diabetes than Caucasian men. Furthermore, diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death amongst the Asian and Pacific Islander population. Read more..
Diabetes and American Indians and Alaska Natives
Diabetes is a disease that afflicts millions of American Indians and Alaska Natives living in the U.S. According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse (NDIC), this particular ethnic group is about 2.2 times more likely to develop Diabetes than Caucasian Americans. Furthermore, it is estimated that more than 15% of American Indians and Alaska Natives have Diabetes and are receiving care from the Indian Health Service (IHS.) Of this a little more than 8% of Alaska Natives and 27% of American Indians have Diabetes. Read more..
Diabetes Disease and Hispanic/Latino Ancestry
According to the Life Extension Foundation, Hispanic and Latino Americans have a 90% increased risk of developing diabetes compared to Caucasians. It is estimated that between 9.5% of Hispanic or Latin Americans older than 20 have Type 2 diabetes – that’s roughly 2.5 million people! Mexican Americans are 1.7 times more likely to have diabetes than any other Hispanic group. However, Puerto Ricans have the highest death rate from diabetes compared to all Hispanic groups with a rate of about 172 deaths per 100,000 cases of diabetes. Read more..
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. Read more..
Studies indicate that ethnicity and genetics play a large role in the onset of Type 2 diabetes .
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