Battling Diabetes

Frightening Statistics For African Americans

According to National Health Interview Studies conducted from the early 1960’s to the early 1990’s, nearly three times the number of African Americans have diabetes compared to the early studies. This does not account for undiagnosed cases. Many African Americans who do not have health care, much like other races who are in the lower income brackets, do not have access to proper health care. Due to this, the number of diabetes cases are possibly double the current number. For every white person who has been diagnosed, approximately one and a half more African Americans are being diagnosed.

One in four African American women over the age of 55 has diabetes. Twenty five percent of African Americans between 65 and 74 have been diagnosed with diabetes. Out of all diabetic Americans, African Americans are more likely to develop complications than their white counterparts.

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The causes of diabetes are complex and only partly understood. Complicating the picture even further is the fact that there are multiple types, each with its own risk factors. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are the most common, encompassing about 97% or more of cases in the U.S. Each results from a combination of environmental and genetic influences.

Of those, Type 2 is far and away the most common, about 90% of cases.

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