Cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes are prime health threats to the Latino community, and the preventable chronic diseases contribute to the deaths of countless Latinos each year. This is particularly true in Latin American countries, which are already overridden with "poverty diseases," such as dengue fever, and infectious diseases, including AIDS. And at the root of many diseases and viruses are poor health choices due to lack of education.

Karin M. Hehenberger, M.D., Ph.D., founded Lyfebulb, an educational and social platform that's dedicated to helping those with chronic illness and diabetes achieve their optimal lifestyle. Hehenberger has used her expertise on diabetes and chronic illness to identify, develop and promote products across therapeutics, devices and consumer health care industries.

The Swedish-born doctor was a member of the management team at Coronado Biosciences, a company focused on autoimmune diseases and cancer, and she has more than 15 years experience in the health care industry. She's considered an expert in the field of metabolic disease, and she's spoken at numerous conferences on the topic of diabetes.

"I have always been interested in medical sciences and the study of disease. This was amplified when I was diagnosed with diabetes as a 16 year-old girl, and at that point I decided to dedicate my life to understand why the body sometimes fails, and what we can do to treat, prevent and cure diseases," Hehenberger told Latin Post.

Hehenberger shared that diabetes and end-stage renal disease both affect the Hispanic community and other communities because they are not only related, but one of the most serious late-term complications of diabetes is renal failure. Also, those afflicted with diabetes have a higher risk of having kidney disease -- all of this stemming from poor dietary practices.

This is exacerbated in the Hispanic population, where there is a genetic predisposition to develop type 2 diabetes, and the culture often involves foods that are high in carbohydrates and fats, triggering obesity, which is closely related to type 2 diabetes. In fact, nationwide 9.3 percent of people have diabetes, according to the CDC, while 12.8 percent of Hispanics do.

Detection and warning signs: blood glucose levels that continue to increase, and finally surpassing fasting levels of 125mg/dl; blurred vision; increased urination and thirst; fatigue; poorly healing wounds; loss of sensitivity or hyper sensitivity in feet and toes and unexplained weight loss.

"Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to both short-term and long-term complications. Short term, people with uncontrolled diabetes may be at increased risk of infections and can suffer from swings in blood sugar, with consequences ranging from fatigue and poor performance to 'going low' and passing out due to hypoglycemia," Hehenberger said. "Long term, the complications include eye, nerve, kidney and vascular disease, leading to vision loss, poorly healing wounds/amputated limbs, kidney failure/dialysis and heart disease/stroke."

Vegetables, lean meats and chicken as well as fish are all good and healthy foods, and keep communities healthy. People with diabetes should try to limit their intake of sugar and simple carbohydrates. This could include pasta, rice and white bread. Some people think that fruit juices are healthy, but for a person with diabetes, it is better to consume the actual fruit, rather than a juice, even if it does not include extra added sugar. The amount of fruits needed for a glass of juice is excessive and not warranted from a nutritional perspective. Another commonly served food that is not recommended for people with diabetes are lunch sandwiches.

Sandwiches often include white bread and too much mayonnaise and proteins. It is better to have a salad with a piece of multigrain bread on the side, or a lean protein with a quinoa salad. Another item to be careful with: nutritional bars. They often have high amounts of sugars. Fruit yogurts are loaded with sugar, and it is better to choose a plain yogurt and add berries or fruit separately.

"I think there is an opportunity to educate the Hispanic population about the risks of diabetes and the consequences of poor management. Until the food becomes less rich and the esthetic ideal becomes leaner, it will be hard to implement real change," Hehenberger said.

Guidelines for diabetes prevention, detection and management include being mindful of food and exercise choices, attentive to weight management (weight loss, diet and exercise plans), getting annual exams to detect elevated blood glucose levels before it is irreversible and taking anti-diabetic pills that improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity.

To learn more about diabetes, visit the CDC's diabetes website.

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