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Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that is preventable. However, this can cause complications and even death if not managed well. This chronic disease can cause complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, amputations, high risk during pregnancies, and others.

In an article published in Healthline, it was found that diabetes can affect black women the most, because of genetically-related health issues such as high blood pressure and obesity. This is thought to be accelerated by their lifestyle. The risk for diagnosed diabetes is 80 percent higher among non-Hispanic black Americans than white Americans, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health.

Moreover, black women with diabetes and are pregnant at the same time are more likely to have complications like blindness and heart attack. With this, the Black Women's Health Imperative is committed to helping every man and woman in the country change their lifestyle to avoid diabetes. 

Here are some information that you need to know about diabetes based on the Question and Answer with Angela Marshall, MD, the board chair of the Black Women's Health Imperative. The answers below are based on Dr. Angela Marshall herself.

1. How to find out that you have type 2 diabetes or you are at risk with this?

  • One of the ways to find out if you have type 2 diabetes is to have a blood test. If your blood level is more than 126 mg/dL this may indicate that you have diabetes and if your blood sugar is between 100 and 125 mg/dL this means that you are in the pre-diabetes stage. Remember that fasting is important prior to the blood sugar test. 

2. Why do black women not know that they have Type 2 diabetes?

  • There are many reasons why black women don't know that they have type 2 diabetes. According to Dr. Marshall, black women are up to date when it comes to pap smears and mammograms, but most of the time forget to have check-ups on their blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. And the other reason according to Dr. Marshall is that most of her patients are in the denial stage. Every time she told her patients that they have it, they refuse to accept it.

3. Is diabetes or prediabetes reversible? How?

  • Once you have this chronic condition, the only way not to have some complications is to diet. If you are diagnosed with this, doctors will inform you that you have it and you have to diet. Once a person achieves their diet goals, doctors will tell them that their blood sugars are at a normal level versus saying that they don't have it anymore.

4. What are the primary three things you can do to prevent diabetes?

  • You have to maintain a normal weight
  • You have to maintain a well-balanced diet and eat food that is low in refined sugars
  • Most of all, you have to exercise regularly.

5. If you have a family member who has diabetes, are you going to get it also?

  • It does not necessarily mean that if you have a family member who has it, you have it too. However, it increases your chance if you fail to follow a strict diet. Some experts believe that those who have family members with a history of diabetes are at risk of this chronic illness as well. These people are advised to visit a doctor as soon as possible.

The best way to avoid this chronic illness is to exercise regularly, diet properly, and undergo regular check-ups. It is already a common understanding that regular exercise helps a person to be physically and mentally fit. If you think that you have diabetes, better visit a doctor as soon as possible to avoid further complications.