By Robin D. Everson
November is a time when communities come together to bring awareness to the complications having diabetes can cause and how to prevent them. According to the 2020 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 10.5% of the US population has diabetes. That is 34.2 million people, and the number keeps rising.
Diabetes happens when your body breaks down food to turn it into sugar (glucose) for energy and releases it into your bloodstream. As your blood glucose goes up your body will naturally signal the pancreas to release insulin. When you have diabetes, your body either does not make enough insulin or cannot use it as well as it should. When there isn’t enough insulin or your cells stop responding to insulin, too much blood glucose stays in your bloodstream. Your blood glucose levels rise and that can bring serious health problems like kidney disease, vision loss, amputations, and heart disease which can be fatal.
The Facts in Black and White
Diabetes in the Black and Hispanic (non-white) communities is rising at an alarming rate. In 2019, Blacks were twice as likely as whites to die from diabetes. Blacks were 2.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with diabetes and have associated long-term complications than whites. Also, Blacks were 3.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with end-stage renal (kidney) disease as compared to whites. In 2018, Black adults were 60 percent more likely than whites to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
Going from Bad to Worse
In 2021, Blacks over the age of 18 diagnosed with diabetes were 12.7 percent compared to whites over the age of 18 diagnosed at 7.0 percent.
It is just as bad for Black men as it is for Black women compared to white men and white women. In 2018-2019, 12.2 percent of Black men were diagnosed with diabetes. 12.1 percent of Black women were diagnosed with diabetes. For white men, it was 8.0 percent and for white women, it was 6.9 percent. With Blacks having a higher percentage of diagnosed cases of diabetes, there is, of course, an increase in death rates relating to diabetes and its complications.
According to the 2022 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) National Vital Statistics Report, the death rates per 100,000 placed Black men at 47.1 percent and Black women at 32.6 percent compared to white men at 24.9 percent and white women at 14.3 percent.
Hospital admissions per 100,000 for those with uncontrolled diabetes and no other health complications is extremely high with 115.9 for Blacks as compared to 30.6 for whites. Hospital admissions per 100,000 with diabetes with long-term complications is a staggering 231.5 for Blacks and 94.3 for whites.
Diabetes affects the entire body most notably the eyes and kidneys. The visual impairment percentage for Blacks is 18.4; for whites is 16.0. According to the 2022 CDC National Diabetes Surveillance System report in 2018, the age-adjusted incidence rate per million of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) related to diabetes in Blacks was 326.5, and in whites, it was 111.8. In 2019, the age-adjusted incidence rate per million of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) related to diabetes in Blacks was 437.5, and in whites, it was 138.2.
There is Hope
While the number of people across all races being diagnosed with diabetes keeps increasing, there is hope for those who take measurable steps to improve their health and possibly reverse this life-robbing disease.
There are several risk factors related to diabetes. The main ones are being overweight, obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, and cigarette smoking. Stopping smoking not only is good for your heart and lungs, but it is also a good way to curb all-cause mortality and diabetes. Losing weight and adding exercise to your routine, helps limit Type 2 diabetes triggers like obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Adopting a healthy, whole food, plant-based diet is also another way to lower your risk of diabetes and for many reverses it.
Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs is a ground-breaking book and an invaluable resource for those who have diabetes and want to stop its debilitating effects. This is an updated version of the book I read when I sought how to stop the disease that I had for over a decade. It worked for me.
As we look to improve our health and those of our loved ones, doing simple things regularly will help us make great strides. Start small with manageable improvements like cutting back on smoking until you are completely able to quit. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables at every meal and going for a short walk (5 to 15 minutes) until you can build up to a longer one (30 to 60 minutes) every day will help improve your health and possibly extend your life.
As a food and wine journalist, Robin’s diet was not conducive to good health. She had Type 2 diabetes and a host of other health issues. After adopting a healthy, whole-food, plant-based diet she quickly became diabetes-free. Robin shares her interesting and unique view of the vegan lifestyle as the editor for The Only Vegan At The Table. www.theonlyveganatthetable.com
