Understanding Diabetes*
Diabetes is a chronic, progressive condition that affects approximately 285 million people worldwide. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
predicts that by 2030, that figure will grow to 438 million people.1 In the United States alone, more than 25 million Americans
are living with diabetes.2 Research suggests that by 2050, diabetes will affect 48.3 million people in the United States,
with the largest increase occurring in minority groups.3 African Americans are affected more by diabetes than
other groups4:
- About 3.7 million (14.7%) African Americans ages 20 or older currently have diabetes
- Compared to non-Hispanic whites, African Americans are 1.8 times more likely to have diabetes
- 1 in 4 African Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 has diabetes
- 25% of African American women over 55 years of age have diabetes
*These statistics are for diabetes in general. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), type 2 diabetes accounts for 90% to 95% of all cases of diagnosed diabetes in adults.
| Many factors contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes in the African American community, including having a family history of type 2 diabetes, being overweight and lack of exercise. |
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You may hear people with type 2 diabetes talk about "taking insulin." While insulin is a type of medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, not all people
with type 2 diabetes need to take insulin. Insulin is one of several types of type 2 diabetes medications.
Your doctor may prescribe insulin to help manage your type 2 diabetes when your body is either not producing enough insulin or when your body is
not able to use its' own insulin properly. Insulin is usually given through a syringe, but there are other options including insulin pumps and
pens, taken through a needle. Talk to your doctor about the different treatment options for insulin, and decide together what option will work best for you.
REFERENCES:
- International Diabetes Federation Diabetes Atlas. "Global Burden: Prevalence and Projections, 2010 and 2030." http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/diabetes-and-impaired-glucose-tolerance. Last accessed September 28, 2011.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and general information on diabetes and prediabetes in the United States, 2011. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf. Last accessed September 28, 2011.
- Narayan K.M. Venkat, et al. Impact of recent increase in incidence on future diabetes burden. Diabetes Care. 2006;29:2114-2116.
- American Diabetes Association. "African Americans & Complications." http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/african-americans-and-complications.html. Last accessed September 28, 2011.