[Learn about the INTEGRIS Health Hispanic Initative]

Tomás Owens, M.D., along with María Aymat of the INTEGRIS Health Hispanic Initiative, examines and educates Latinos in the community about health issues they face, every year at the INTEGRIS Health Hispanic Health Fair.

Diabetes is a growing epidemic in the Latino community, and Oklahoma’s population of Hispanic Americans is no exception.

With rates that double those of non- Hispanic Americans, being well-informed, knowing risk factors, and learning ways to control, delay or even prevent diabetes is critical for this population.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life.

Although a diagnosis of diabetes is a major health issue on its own, it also leads to even bigger concerns – namely heart health. “Anyone with diabetes is at high risk for heart disease,” says Tomás Owens, M.D., family practice, OB/GYN, for Great Plains Family Practice.

The leading cause of death among Latinos is heart disease. Yet many Latinos, even those with diabetes, are generally unaware of important lifestyle changes that could help prevent heart disease. It is a knowledge gap that transcends socio-economic status.

The link between diabetes and Hispanic Americans
Of the 30 million Latinos living in the United States, about two million had been diagnosed with diabetes in 2000. Today, about 10.2 percent of all Hispanic Americans have diabetes.

“This is because there is a combination of two problems,” explains Owens. “The first one being that it’s a genetic issue. Latinos have a mixture of Spanish and Indian heritage, and both sides are at a high risk for diabetes.”

The second problem, he says, is the lifestyle changes in civilization over thousands of years.

“Take American Indians, for example. This group didn’t have diabetes 5,000 and even up to 600 years ago,” says Owens. “They were hunters, running after deer and working to get their food. Civilization has changed our lifestyle – we’ve all become more sedentary. We don’t have to hunt for food anymore – we go to the store. We’ve allowed ourselves to become way heavier than we should be.”

Diabetes is particularly common among middle-aged and older Hispanic Americans. For those ages 50 and older, about 25 to 30 percent have either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.

As in all populations, having risk factors for diabetes increases the chances that a Hispanic American will develop diabetes. Risk factors seem to be more common among Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites. These factors include a family history of diabetes, gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, obesity and physical inactivity.

Heart disease: the most common and deadliest complication of diabetes
Most people with diabetes have additional health problems, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, which increases their hearthealth risk. And this combination can add up to big trouble.

The statistics are staggering:

• About 70 percent of people with diabetes also have high blood pressure.
• Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or suffer a stroke than people without diabetes.
• Middle-aged people with diabetes have the same high risk for heart attack as people without diabetes who have already had a heart attack.
• Smoking doubles the risk for heart disease in people with diabetes.
• Two out of three people with diabetes, about 65 percent, die from heart disease or stroke.
• Of those with diabetes who have a heart attack, it typically occurs earlier in life and often results in death.

But despite these shocking statistics, only one in four Hispanics or Latinos with diabetes knows they are at risk for heart disease.

“Some people with diabetes may think that if they see well and have no urinary problems, that all is well with their health,” says Owens. “But even if you feel great and don’t have symptoms like loss of eye sight or a failing liver [side effects of diabetes], you can still end up having a heart attack.”

The good news is: People with diabetes can reduce their risk by wisely managing their disease, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Good advice for all
So what should Hispanic Americans with diabetes, or all those with diabetes for that matter, watch out for? “Hispanics should look out for high blood pressure, a marked increase in abdominal girth [for males, it should not be more than a 40 inch waist size] and a decreased level of HDL or increased level of LDL cholesterol,” recommends Owens.

Owens also warns that people with a decreased level of HDL or increased level of LDL cholesterol are also at a much higher risk for metabolic syndrome, also known as syndrome X.

“Those [with syndrome X] are at the highest risk of all for heart troubles,” says Owens.

To reduce the risk of heart disease and other complications from diabetes:

• Eat a variety of healthy foods that are low in salt and fat, like fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
• Aim for 30 minutes of physical activity, five days a week, to keep a healthy weight.
• Take steps to control blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol to reduce the risks of complications from diabetes, especially heart disease.
• Take medicines as prescribed.
• Ask about aspirin therapy for prevention of heart disease.
• If you smoke, work with a doctor, family and friends to help you quit.

“Think of heart disease as a light bulb you don’t want to light,” says Owens. “Obesity is the on-switch and the electricity is the diabetes. If you keep your weight in check, it can save your life.”

[Learn about the INTEGRIS Health Hispanic Initative]

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