Daily HealthBeat Tip

Where�s the care?

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Diabetes is not an equal opportunity disease. It strikes some groups of Americans more than others.

And even care for the disease is not equal. Researcher Julienne Kirk of Wake Forest University School of Medicine found this when she looked through Medicare databases and other sources. Her study was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Kirk found rates of flu vaccination in blacks with diabetes were eight to 29 percent lower than comparable rates for whites. She also found lower rates of eye exams among blacks and Hispanics � and this for a disease that can lead to blindness.

Kirk says minority patients with diabetes have to push hard to be sure they get their care � and enlist people to help, if needed:

"When we are faced with so many things to have to monitor and encompass in this disease, it's important that lots of people that are helping the person with diabetes hear the message." (10 seconds)

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August 31, 2005

The White House | USA.gov | HHS Archive | No FEAR Act