Diabetes and the Hispanic American Woman
News Friday, October 28th, 2011
By Jody Smith – Empow Her: Hispanic American women are two or three times more likely than non-Hispanic American women to develop diabetes. When the body is unable to create or use insulin properly, the result is diabetes. The body needs insulin to transform food into energy. When it’s unable to perform this function, a variety of health problems can begin to appear.
Diabetes may show itself through fatigue, irritability, vision problems or unusual weight fluctuation. Thirst, hunger and urination may all increase to exceptional levels. More serious chronic symptoms of diabetes are heart problems, poor circulation sometimes leading to amputation, and stroke. When left untreated, diabetes can end in death.
Risk factors for type 2 diabetes in Hispanic American women are obesity, lack of physical activity, family history of diabetes, and glucose tolerance problems.
Mexican American women are also more likely than non-Hispanic American women to have gestational diabetes. A history of gestational diabetes may also be a risk factor. READ FULL ARTICLE
