November 21, 2024- Diabetes affects approximately 40 million Americans, according to the CDC’s National Diabetes Statistics Report – but not all are impacted equally. As part of National Diabetes Awareness Month, Cardinal Health is shining a spotlight on the Hispanic American population as one of the largest and fastest-growing minority population in the United States – and one of the top high-risk populations for diabetes.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health (OMH) reports that, in 2022, Hispanic-American adults were 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician than non-Hispanic white adults. Hispanics also were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized for treatment of end-stage renal disease related to diabetes as compared to non-Hispanic whites. Not only that, but Mexican-Americans are more likely to be living with undiagnosed diabetes at nearly three times the national average.
There are several factors at play that are thought to contribute to this higher risk; some of these may be language and cultural barriers, which can make learning a new therapy or medication regimen or working with a physician more challenging. This may be why Hispanics have generally worse outcomes than other adults in America, according to this Pew Research Center study here.