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Health conditions common in Latinas:

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Diabetes

• More information on diabetes in English
• Más recursos en español (Additional resources in Spanish)

Diabetes is a disease that causes blood sugar levels to be too high. Over time high blood sugar levels can hurt many parts of your body, such as your skin, mouth, kidneys, heart, nerves, eyes, and feet. It can even cause death.

Type 2 diabetes — the most common type of diabetes — affects about 1 in 10 Latinos. Within this group, Mexican-Americans are the most affected. Latinas are 17 times more likely to die from diabetes than non-Hispanic white women.

You can't control some risk factors for type 2 diabetes, such as your age, race, or family history. But you can prevent or delay developing type 2 diabetes by taking these steps:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) to see if you're at a healthy weight.
• Eat low-fat, well-balanced meals.
• Make physical activity a habit. Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:
  • 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • A combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity
    and
    
  • Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week
• Limit alcohol to no more than one drink per day.

You could have type 2 diabetes and not know it. Type 2 diabetes sometimes has no warning signs. Talk to your doctor about diabetes in your family. Get your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar levels checked regularly, as advised by your doctor. If you find out you have diabetes, you can take steps to manage the disease and live a full and active life. Making healthy eating and physical activity a regular part of your family life also will help to lower your loved ones' risk of diabetes.

There are other forms of diabetes:

• Gestational diabetes is too high blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Latinas have higher rates than non-Hispanic white women. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy. But you are at higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes later in life.
• Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys insulin-making cells. It is far less common than type 2 and often starts in childhood. There is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes.

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More information on diabetes in English

Explore other publications and websites

• Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes? Taking Steps to Lower Your Risk of Getting Diabetes — This fact sheet 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
• Diabetes Risk Test (Copyright © American Diabetes Association) — This interactive tool can help you determine your risk of diabetes. It includes information on prevention, how to cope, and more.
  http://www.diabetes.org/risk-test.jsp
• Diabetic Eye Disease: Facts About Diabetic Retinopathy — This booklet provides information about diabetic retinopathy and answers questions about the causes and symptoms of this progressive eye disease. Diagnosis and types of treatment are also described.
  http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/diabetic/retinopathy.asp
• Hispanics/Latinos: Help Control a Growing Epidemic by Managing the ABCs of Diabetes — This fact sheet talks about the prevalence and impact of diabetes on 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/media/ControlGrowingEpidemic_Article.pdf
• 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/

Connect with other organizations

• American Diabetes Association
  http://www.diabetes.org/
• CDC's WISEWOMAN — Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
  http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/
• National Alliance for Hispanic Health
  http://www.hispanichealth.org
• National Diabetes Education Program
  http://ndep.nih.gov/
• National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, NIH
  http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/
• National Eye Institute, NIH, HHS
  http://www.nei.nih.gov/
• Office of Minority Health, HHS
  http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/

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Más recursos en español (Additional resources in Spanish)

Content last updated May 18, 2010.

Resources last updated May 18, 2010.

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