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Diabetes

You can get diabetes if your body does not use insulin right. Insulin in your body changes the sugars in food into energy. Type 1 diabetes happens when your body destroys its own cells that make insulin. Type 2 diabetes happens when your body doesn't make enough insulin. Diabetes affects women of all ages.

Diabetes is a serious health problem for American Indian/Alaska Natives in the U.S. American Indians and Alaskan Natives are 2.2 times as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.  American Indian/Alaska Native women have more cases of diabetes than American Indian/Alaska Native men. Pregnant American Indian/Alaska Native women with type 2 diabetes are more likely to have babies born with birth defects. Diabetes plays a part in many of the leading causes of death in American Indian/Alaska Native, including heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, and influenza. People with diabetes are more likely to have problems with their skin, mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. Certain tribes have much higher rates. For example, 50 percent of Pima Indians in Arizona between the ages of 30 and 64 have type 2 diabetes.

Balerma's Story

Picture of Balerma "So many of my female relatives had diabetes when I was growing up that I didn't realize how dangerous it is. My wake-up call came when my mother had a massive heart attack at a young age. I started looking around and realized how many of my female relatives with diabetes died of heart problems. Diabetes is high among American Indians, but my sisters and I just weren't taught about what could happen if you had it, or that it could be prevented.

I was diagnosed with diabetes 3 years ago—only 6 months after my mother died from a second massive heart attack. A lot of Comanche women don't talk about their health, but I'm trying to be open with my kids about diabetes and educate them about how to eat better and get more exercise.

I tell them that they're doing these things for me, but more importantly for their own health and their own children's lives as well. I know that if I don't change things in my life, I might not live to see my grandchildren. Every day, I talk myself into doing things for my health, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, eating more fruits and vegetables. These things haven't become habits for me yet, but I'm working on it.”

American Indians/Alaska Natives have these risk factors for type 2 diabetes:

  • Genes. Experts studying the Pima Indians have found a gene called FABP2 that may play a role in insulin resistance. Other studies have shown that another gene linked to type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance is more common in Pimas than whites.
  • Obesity. Rates of obesity are increasing in this group.
  • Diet and exercise. Both diet and exercise have changed for American Indian/Alaska Native groups over the past years. Diets tend to be higher in fat and calories than they used to be, and physical activity has decreased.

People with diabetes are more likely to have problems with their skin, mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. Although type 1 diabetes can't be prevented, there are steps you can take to prevent and control type 2 diabetes:

  • See your doctor regularly. Don't forget about the dentist and eye doctor!
  • If you smoke, try to quit. Quitting is hard, but there are programs that can help.
  • Control your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, your blood pressure, and your weight.
  • Get moving. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, most days of the week. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or, walk during breaks at work.
  • Check your feet every day for blisters, red spots, swelling, or cuts.
  • Stay aware of how you feel. If you notice a problem, call your doctor right away.

Gestational diabetes occurs during pregnancy. This type of diabetes occurs in about 1 in 20 pregnancies. During pregnancy your body makes hormones that keep insulin from doing its job. To make up for this, your body makes extra insulin. But in some women this extra insulin is not enough, so they get gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes usually goes away when the pregnancy is over. Still, women who have had gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.

Publications

  1. Federal resource  American Indian and Alaska Native Women's Health - This site provides information for Indian health service providers and consumers about American Indian and Alaska Native women's health. It discusses access to care, violence against Native women, cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, and other health issues.

    http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/MCH/W/index.cfm

  2. Federal resource  American Indian Health - This web site is an information portal for and about the health of native peoples of the United States.

    http://americanindianhealth.nlm.nih.gov/

  3. Federal resource  American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Diabetes - Diabetes mellitus is one of the most serious health challenges facing American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States today. This web site provides publications that contain information and statistics on the risks and complications associated with diabetes in 3 fact sheets.

    http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/americanindian/index.htm

  4. Federal resource  PDF file  Diabetes in American Indians and Alaska Natives: Facts At-a-glance - This fact sheet contains statistics about American Indians and Alaska Natives and diabetes, including the percent of adults and youth with diagnosed diabetes, the death rate, and the cost of diabetes.

    http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/diabetes/FactSheets/Diabetes_in_AIAN_Facts_200...

  5. Federal resource  PDF file  I Can Lower My Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: A Guide for American Indians - This booklet was written with a special focus on American Indians. It defines diabetes and reviews the signs and symptoms of the disease. It discusses the risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and ways it can be prevented.

    http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/amIatrisktype2AI/amerindrisk.pdf

  6. Federal resource  Pima Indians: Pathfinders for Health - This booklet describes the role of the Pima Indians in helping to understand diabetes and details NIDDK's efforts to improve clinical care and self-management practices among the Pima Indians.

    http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/pima/index.htm

  7. Federal resource  PDF file  Take Care of Your Heart: Manage Your Diabetes - This publication encourages American Indians/Alaska Natives to keep their hearts healthy by taking control of diabetes. Some useful tools provided are suggestions on how to reduce the risk of heart disease, and charts for people to keep track of their blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol.

    http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/TCH_AmIndian_flyer.pdf

  8. Federal resource  PDF file  The Diabetes Epidemic Among American Indians and Alaska Natives - This publication answers common questions about the diabetes epidemic among American Indians and Alaska Natives, including questions about cardiovascular health and diabetes.

    http://ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/FS_AmIndian.pdf

  9. Federal resource  PDF file  We Have the Power to Prevent Diabetes - This fact sheet encourages American Indians and Alaska Natives to prevent type 2 Diabetes by following 7 steps: move more, eat healthy, take off some weight, set goals you can meet, record your progress, get help, and keep at it.

    http://www.ndep.nih.gov/diabetes/pubs/Power_tips.pdf

  10. Diabetes and Native Americans (Copyright © American Diabetes Association) - This flier describes resources available to the Native American public from the American Diabetes Association, including educational materials online and their call center.

    http://web.diabetes.org/NativeAmericans/ATSLow.pdf?WTLPromo=nativeamericans_diabe...

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

    http://www.diabetes.org/risk-test.jsp

Organizations

  1. Federal resource  CDC's WISEWOMAN™ - Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
  2. Federal resource  Indian Health Services
  3. Federal resource  National Diabetes Education Program
  4. Federal resource  National Indian Council on Aging
  5. Federal resource  Office of Minority Health, OPHS, OS, HHS
  6. American Diabetes Association
  7. National Indian Women's Health Resource Center (NIWHRC)

Federal resource = Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007

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