Minority Women's Health

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Diabetes

Minority Women's Health > Hispanic Americans/Latinas > Health Topics > Diabetes

• Resources in English
• Recursos en español

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. Almost one in 10 Hispanics/Latinos is diagnosed with diabetes. Hispanics/Latinos are almost twice as likely as whites of the same age to have diabetes. Hispanic/Latina women have more cases of diabetes than Hispanic/Latino men.

People with diabetes are more likely to have problems with their skin, mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. Hispanics/Latinos are more likely than whites to have serious health problems caused by diabetes, such as eye disease and kidney disease. 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. Hispanic/Latina women, especially when they are overweight, have higher rates of gestational diabetes than non-Hispanic white women.

Resources in English

Publications

1.   Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? — This booklet defines diabetes and reviews the signs and symptoms of the disease. It discusses the risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and the ways it can be prevented.

   http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/riskfortype2/index.htm

2.   Diabetic Retinopathy: What you should know — This booklet is for people with diabetic retinopathy and their families and friends. It provides information about diabetic retinopathy and answers questions about the cause and symptoms of this progressive eye disease. Diagnosis and types of treatment are described.

   http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp

3.     The Diabetes Epidemic Among Hispanic and Latino Americans — This fact sheet reviews the two types of diabetes and discusses how its complications affect Hispanic Americans. It also discusses the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease and about what can be done to prevent it.

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

4.     Understanding the Link between Diabetes and Heart Disease in Hispanic Americans — This fact sheet discusses how diabetes is a growing epidemic for Hispanic Americans. It was observed that there are more complications of heart disease in patients with diabetes. This sheet provides a list of things that can help reduce those risks.

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

5.   What I Need to Know About Eating and Diabetes — This publication reviews diabetes nutrition basics, including what, when, and how much a person with diabetes should eat. It discusses healthier ways to buy, cook, and eat foods to achieve good blood glucose control.

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

6. Diabetes Facts and Figures Among Latinos (Copyright © NCLR) — This publication gives an overview of general facts about the prevalance of diabetes and facts specifically about diabetes in relation to the Latino population.

   http://www.nclr.org/section/diabetes_statistics

7. Diabetes Risk Test (Copyright © ADA) — This tool is an interactive test that can help you determine your risk for diabetes. It includes information on prevention, how to cope, and more.

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

Organizations

1.   CDC's WISEWOMAN™ - Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
2.   National Diabetes Education Program
3.   National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, NIDDK, NIH, HHS
4.   National Eye Institute, NIH, HHS
5.   Office of Minority Health, OPHS, OS, HHS
6. American Diabetes Association
7. National Alliance for Hispanic Health

= Indicates Federal Resources

Recursos en español

Publicaciones

1.   Cómo prevenir los problemas de la diabetes: Controle la diabetes — Este folleto contiene una lista de preguntas y respuestas para el paciente con diabetes. Información como de como medir la glucosa en la sangre, como controlar los niveles de colesterol que hacen la diabetes peor, e información sobre dieta, control de peso y de como guardar un diario de información.

   http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/complications_control/index.htm

2.   Controle su diabetes - Guía para el cuidado de su salud — Este informe cubre el control de la glucosa sanguínea, el control de la diabetes y cómo hacer frente a problemas de salud relacionados con la citada enfermedad, como ser problemas de vista, riñones, corazón y vasos sanguíneos, nervios, pies y dientes. También se incluye información con respecto a la salud de la mujer y el embarazo.

   http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/controle/intro_sp.htm

3.   ¿Corro el riesgo de que me de diabetes tipo 2? — Este libro describe la diabetes y los señales y síntomas que lo acompañen. Discute los factores de riesgo de desarrollar la diabetes tipo 2 y cómo prevenirla.

   http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/riskfortype2/index.htm

4.   Guía para personas con diabetes tipo 1 y tipo 2 — Esta publicación contesta muchas preguntas sobre la diabetes tipos 1 y 2. Puede que quiera compartirla con su familia y sus amigos para que ellos también entiendan mejor la diabetes y sepan cómo ayudarle a llevar una vida sana.

   http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/type1and2/index.htm

5.     Los hispanos/latinos y la diabetes — Esta hoja explica porque la diabetes es un problema mayor en la población hispana y comparan los probables factores que aumentan más las probabilidades.

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

6.   Lo que usted debe saber sobre la diabetes gestacional — Estas hojas informativas contienen mucha información acerca la diabetes gestacional. Le dirá todo lo que necesita saber acerca las causas, las formas de diagnósticos, tratamientos y de como evitar or retrasar la diabetes en el futuro.

   http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/gestational_ez/index.htm

7.   Preguntas frecuentes acerca de la diabetes — La diabetes es un trastorno del metabolismo - la forma en que nuestros organismos usan los alimentos digeridos para el crecimiento y la energía. Esta publicación discute los diversos tipos de diabetes, quién está en riesgo de padecer de diabetes, el tratamiento a seguir en el caso de la diabetes, y si alguien puede prevenirse la diabetes.

   http://www.womenshealth.gov/espanol/preguntas/diabetes.htm

8. Examen de riesgo de diabetes (Copyright © ADA) — Esta hoja informativa es una evaluación del riesgo de la diabetes por la Asociación Americana de Diabetes para asistirle a determinar el riesgo de tener la diabetes.

   http://www.diabetes.org/espanol/recursos-examen.jsp

9. Medicamentos orales para la diabetes (Copyright © AAFP) — Esta hoja es para los pacientes con diabetes que tienen preguntas referentes a los medicamentos recetados para la diabetes.

   http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/seniors/seniors-meds/803.html

10. Pruebas de sangre para ayudarle controlar su diabetes (Copyright © AAFP) — Estas páginas contienen información de las diferentes pruebas de sangre disponibles para controlar su diabetes. Esta trae un diagrama de cuando durante el día debe hacerse el examen de sangre.

    http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/common/diabetes/living/779.html

Organizaciones

1.   Centro de Información de la Oficina de Salud de las Minorías
2.   Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, HHS
3.   El Programa Nacional de Educación sobre Enfermedad Renal
4.   Instituto Nacional del Ojo
5.   National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse en español
6. American Diabetes Association en español
7. American Heart Association en español
8. National Kidney Foundation en español

= Recurso Federal

Current as of December 2007