SALUD: National Diabetes Month Offers Insight on Prevalence, Preventative Care & Management

National Diabetes Month is a 30-day period dedicated to discussing diabetes risk factors, preventative care, and management for the sake of prolonging lives and promoting healthier living.

The cluster of metabolic diseases known as diabetes mellitus develops in the body when there are elevated blood sugar levels over a protracted period of time. The pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin, and cells fail to properly respond to insulin produced by the pancreas. Increased hunger, increased thirst, frequent urination, blurry vision, extreme fatigue, the smell of acetone on the breath, unplanned weight loss and numbness in hands or feet are symptoms of diabetes.

The consequential complications of leaving gestational diabetes, type 1 and type 2 untreated include, but isn't limited to, foot ulcers, diabetic retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney failure and diabetic ketoacidosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and 25 percent of diabetic individuals have no idea. Additionally, 86 million adults have pre-diabetes, meaning blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not raised enough to be considered type 2. Unhealthy lifestyle factors such as being overweight, physical inactivity and heavy alcohol prompt the manifestation of diabetes. Also, having gestational diabetes, being 45 years or older, or having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes are additional risk factors.

The Hispanic community does face added risk of developing cardiometabolic abnormalities and type 2 diabetes, although prevalence rates depend greatly on country of origin and other contributing factors such as the length of time living within the U.S. There's diversity among the presence of diabetes among U.S. Latino groups. Puerto Rican, Mexican, Dominican, and Central American-origin Latinos experience higher levels of diabetes while Latinos of South American, and Cuban descent are less likely to develop the disease. Nonetheless, threats increase with age and length of time in the U.S., and groups with more income and education were less likely to have poor glycemic control and more likely to have health insurance.

Wakefield Research published findings, commissioned by Transitions Optical Inc. showing that Hispanics are more likely than non-Latino whites to suffer from diabetes, diabetes-related eye issues, cataract and glaucoma. Nonetheless, half of surveyed Hispanics didn't know their ethnicity put them at increased risk of eye health issues, and less than half (40 percent) have had an exam with the past year.

Eating healthy, maintaining a normal body weight, avoiding tobacco and physical exercise is the best way to combat the development of diabetes. Diabetes management involves working with a health professional, taking necessary medicines, checking blood glucose levels, eating healthy and staying active. Also, individuals who are borderline diabetic can adopt healthier habits if they desire normal sugar levels. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed a bilingual booklet of recipes, titled "Tasty Recipes for People with Diabetes and Their Families" ("Recetario Ricas recetas para personas con diabetes y sus familiars"). The booklet is a tool that's practical for meal planning, food demonstration and food education.