Diabetic feet need extra care. Even small foot problems can become serious for people with diabetes. Always check with your doctor before treating a foot issue at home.
At present there are more than 26 million Americans living with diabetes, with people from ethnic minorities bearing a disproportionate burden of disease. According to the Diabetes Association and the International Diabetes Federation, an estimated 18 percent of African-Americans aged 20 and above are afflicted with the disorder. They account for the highest rate among all ethnic groups. The ethnic group with the second-highest incidence was the Hispanics, with 2.5 million adults affected, working out to be an estimated 11 million people. The indigenous peoples of America and Alaska had the third highest incidence, with 14 percent of the population affected. The study also revealed that compared to white adults, Asian-Americans had a 14 percent higher risk of developing diabetes. African-Americans displayed the highest susceptibility at 77 percent, followed closely by members of the Hispanic/Latino community at 66 percent.
Risk of Ulceration and Other Complications
According to various medical authorities, the reasons for a higher susceptibility to type 2 diabetes among certain ethnicities have not been completely worked out. However, they claim that a genetic predisposition is involved, although more research is needed to pinpoint a specific gene. He attributes several other causalities that include cultural dietary habits and socio-economic issues such as access to healthcare.
The numbers, however, are alarming. Studies of the various ethnic groups mentioned above, including Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and the Pacific Islanders, have shown that the people surveyed also had poor blood pressure control, and were at a high risk of developing diabetes-related complications such as blindness, kidney problems, and diabetic foot ulcerations. The risk of amputation was also significantly higher among those who developed foot ulceration. The mortality rate was also higher among minorities with the disorder when compared to whites.
Despite increasing access to healthcare in the recent past, and groundbreaking medical advances, people of African-American, Native American, and Hispanic ancestry continue to witness a 50 to 100 percent hike in the incidence of the disease and its complications when compared to whites.
Diabetic Statistics According to Ethnicity
African-Americans - An estimated 4.9 million African-American adults have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes. As stated earlier, people of African-American ancestry have a 77 percent higher risk of developing the disorder, making them a high-risk group. An independent study conducted in 2006 revealed that African-American men were twice as likely to experience diabetes-related complications, including end-stage renal disease (ESRD), foot ulceration, retinopathy, heart disease, and blindness, as Caucasian men. The study further revealed that African-American men were 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalized for diabetic co-morbidities, and 2.3 times more likely to die from the disorder. Hispanics/Latinos - Studies have shown that an estimated 11.8 percent of the adult Hispanic population have either been diagnosed with diabetes, or are pre-diabetic. Hispanic adults have a 66 percent higher risk of developing the disorder than Caucasians. Among the subgroups of Latinos with diabetes, 13.3 percent were Mexican Americans; 7.6 percent were Cubans or members of other Central and South American ethnic groups; and 13.8 percent for people of Puerto Rican ancestry. Adult Hispanics were 1.7 times more likely to require treatment for diabetes-related complications including foot ulceration compared to Caucasian adults. Also, Hispanics were 1.5 times more likely to succumb earlier to the disorder compared to whites.
Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders - Diabetes has been found to be the fifth leading cause of death in Asian-Americans and people of Pacific Islander ancestry. An estimated 8 percent of Asian-Americans and 20.6 percent of Hawaiian natives and Pacific Islanders aged 20 years and above, are currently living with diabetes. Hawaiian natives had a 22 percent higher death rate as a result of diabetes-related complications, compared to whites. What is baffling is that Asian-Americans have a 30 percent higher likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes; this is despite the fact that they typically have a lower BMI compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Almost half the adult population of men and women in American Samoa between the ages OR and 64 is living with Type 2 diabetes. This significantly raises the risk of diabetes-related complications, including foot ulceration, among the Samoans.
American-Indian and Alaska Natives - At a staggering 16 percent, people of American-Indian and Alaskan Native ancestry have been shown to have the highest age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes among all ethnic groups in the United States. In 2004, it was found that people from these two groups had a mortality rate that was three times higher than the general United States population, largely on account of diabetes-related complications, including foot ulceration, retinopathy, neuropathy, and renal failure. FUN FACT About 60-70% of diabetics will develop some form of diabetic nerve damage, which in severe forms can lead to diabetic lower limb amputation. Approximately 56,000 people a year lose their foot or leg due to diabetes.
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