...Diabetes Mellitus among African Americans Final Research Paper Peggy Hollie Epidemiology Disease Dr. Peters May 9, 2012 Diabetes Mellitus is characterized by abnormal metabolism of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, resulting in increased levels of blood sugar. The adjective mellitus (for sweet) is used with diabetes insipidus (tasteless), which is so rare that the word diabetes by itself generally refers to diabetes mellitus. The only thing that diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus have in common is polyuria, or frequent urination. There are two forms of diabetes mellitus: Type I, or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus IDDM), and Type II, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM). Diabetes is one of the ten leading causes of death from disease in the United States. It is the result of an insufficient supply of insulin or an inadequate use of insulin that is supplied from the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC (2010), diabetes affects 25.8 million people 8.3% of the U.S. population, diagnosed 18.8 million people and undiagnosed 7.0 million people. African Americans who have diabetes are 4.9 million or 18.7% aged 20 years or older. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Hispanic whites. In addition, they are more likely to suffer complications from diabetes, such as end-stage renal disease and lower extremity...
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...Diabetes Mellitus Christa Hackett SOC 313 Sabrina Geoffrion June 17, 2013 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic, incurable condition of carbohydrate metabolism that involves an imbalance of the supply and demand for insulin; it is the most common of all endocrine conditions (Laffel & Wood, 2007; Olefsky, 2001). Diabetes is a common health condition that affects millions throughout the universe. Diabetes affects millions of people in different and diverse ethnic groups. In the United States diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death. Diabetes is a growing problem in the US and it is becoming an epidemic. There are 3 types of diabetes mellitus, Type-1, Type-2, and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is insulin dependent and accounts for at least 10% of diagnosed cases. In Type 1 diabetes the immune system makes it hard for the body to produce insulin. With no insulin the body cannot transform sugar from food into nutrients for cells. When excess sugar collects in the blood stream, it may eventually cause premature death and heavy damage to organs. Type-1 diabetes can affect adults and children suddenly and require supplemental insulin, a carefully planned diet and exercise regimen. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in young adults, teenagers, and children. Type 1 diabetes happens when the body’s immune system strike and destroys cells in the pancreas, the organ which is located behind the lower part of the stomach. These beta cells commonly produce insulin, the hormone...
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...as the "Minority Population Diabetes Prevention and Control Act of 2003" was introduced to Congress, and then referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. According to this bill's findings, "minority populations, including African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asians, have the highest incidence of diabetes and the highest complications of the disease" (1). The alarming rate at which the incidence of diabetes is affecting African American and Hispanic American communities has led the government, health care professionals, clinics, and other organizations to begin to question the process by which information and treatment is being accessed by members of these communities. African American[->0] African American[->1]s have the biggest problem and that is 13 of all African American[->2]s have diabetes but of those 13 don"tmt even know that they have diabetes. Another big problem for African American[->3]s is the number of diabetics has tripled in the last thirty years and it is steal rising. The rates of illness and death related to the complications of diabetes are high, and the disease is ranked as the seventh leading cause[->4] of death in the United States. African American[->5] are 2 times more likely to have diabetes then non Latino whites. 3-5 of all pregnancies of women with diabetes cause death of new born The prevalence of type II diabetes is highest in African Americans among ethnic and racial groups. African American type II diabetic populations have...
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...daunting. The first step in any medical situation regarding a person’s health is prevention that is talked among the professionals in the health community. This will be the only way to help the cycle to break that will further prevent other diseases from occurring. Using epidemiology and the epidemiology triangle diabetes in African Americans will be observed. This health concern in many communities in the United States can be prevented and helped, but information is the key to success. In this paper we will be examining the definition and description of epidemiology, the steps and methods of epidemiology, reviewing the data of the selected population. We will also be looking at the epidemiological triangle as well as various levels of prevention. Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events (including disease), and the application of this study to the control of diseases and other health problems. Various methods can be used to carry out epidemiological investigations: surveillance and descriptive studies can be used to study distribution; analytical studies are used to study determinants (WHO, 2012). Epidemiology is a type of science that guides our understanding of the strong points of how exposure and the relation to how it effects our health. Epidemiology can be used for many things such as the use of occupationally associated illnesses (Stanhope & Lancaster, p. 222, 2012). According to the Center of Disease and Control...
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...Diabetes, breast cancer, and tuberculosis are three important health concerns issues in the United States and in other parts of the world, but let’s be clear about this, there are several other important health issues affecting our people that have very significant importance. My criterion for selection is the United State, English language, and no specific age group. Diabetes as we know is when the body fails to produce enough insulin, which then causes sugar to build up in your blood. Diabetes affects over 25.8 million people, which is 8.3% of the U.S population, of that 18.8million people are diagnosed and 7.0 million undiagnosed. Among U.S. residents aged 65 years and older 10.9 million, or 26.9%, had diabetes in 2010. About 215,000 people younger than 20 years had diabetes (type 1 or type 2) in the United States in 2010. About 1.9 million people aged 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2010 in the United States. Type I diabetes was previously called insulin dependent mellitus or juvenile-onset diabetes. Type I diabetes develops when the body’s immune system destroys pancreatic beta cells, the cells that produce insulin that regulates blood glucose. To survive, people with this type must have insulin delivered by injection or pump. This type normally strikes children and young adults, but may occur at any age according and type I diabetes accounts for 5% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors can be may be autoimmune, genetic, or environmental...
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...Diabetes Among African Americans Diabetes has been affecting the African American community in the United States for a long time. Diabetes is a disease that occurs in people by altering the body’s metabolic process in producing insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is produced in the pancreas which regulates the amount of sugar in our blood stream, and in turn becomes energy. There are two types of diabetes: type 1diabetes and type 2 diabetes. Type 1diabetes, which usually begins during childhood or adolescence, is a condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by lack of insulin (American Diabetes Association). This occurs when the body's immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas and destroys them. Type 2 diabetes which is the most common form of the disease, usually occurs in middle aged adults after the age of forty-five (American Diabetes Association). It’s a condition characterized by high blood glucose levels caused by either lack of insulin or the body's inability to use insulin efficiently. Forty percent of African American boys and forty nine percent of girls will develop diabetes during their lifetimes and therefore face the possibility of severe diabetes-related complications and a life span that is reduced by 4 to 23 years (Institute for Alternative Futures). In 2010, there were 5,547,700 African Americans in the United States with diabetes. African Americans have at least twice the risk of amputations, renal failure, and...
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...Diabetes: An incredibly scary word that causes most people to cringe when heard; especially if it happens to be prevalent in an individual’s family history. If faced with the possibility of having diabetes the best thing to do is to become informed about the chronic disease by talking to a doctor, doing research on the internet or at the library, or perusing through a bookstore and buying a couple of books on the subject of diabetes. Being better informed will help an individual decide on the best way to take care of this chronic disease which has a couple of different types. Type 1 diabetes is thought to be an autoimmune chronic disease in which the body's immune system attacks the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes may run in families but is less likely to occur than in type 2. Environmental issues, for example, certain kinds of viral infections, can also contribute. Type 1 diabetes can be commonly found in people of non-Hispanic white individuals of Northern European origin, with African Americans and Hispanic Americans following closely behind with individuals of Asian origin rarely ever contracting it. Men are more likely than women to have type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is thought to have a powerful genetic link. Type 2 diabetes risk factors include: High blood triglyceride levels; high-fat diet; obesity or being overweight; high blood pressure; sedentary lifestyle; high alcohol intake; and gestational diabetes. Another risk factor is ethnicity because...
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...Diabetes, a disease associated with serious complications and premature death, is known as a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production and/or insulin action. Type 1 diabetes, which is usually known for striking children and young adults, develops when the body’s immune system destroys Pancreatic Beta cells. Pancreatic Beta cells are the only cells that regulate blood glucose. Patients with this type of diabetes usually need several insulin injections a day or and insulin pump to maintain or survive. Family history, Autoimmune disease, where the body mistakenly attacks the insulin producing cells, and environmental factors are risks factors of type 1 diabetes. Next, Type 2, which is the most common, accounts for 90-95% of all diagnosed cases. It begins with resistance to insulin. This is when cell do not use insulin properly. Risks of type 2 is anyone age 45 or older, obesity, family history of diabetes, diabetes during pregnancy, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and being of the Native American, Hispanic/ Latino American, Asian, or Pacific Islander race. Last, Gestational diabetes, which is a form of glucose intolerance that is diagnosed with some women at pregnancy. It requires treatment to help normalize maternal blood glucose levels. These treatments are given to avoid complications in the infant during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is most common in African American...
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...Diabetes is a term used to describe a cluster of conditions in which the body is unable to produce any or enough effective insulin. This is a hormone needed for glucose to enter the cells to be converted to energy. Glucose is the fuel that your body needs. In your diet, this comes from foods such as fruit, milk, some vegetables, starchy foods and sugar. To help control your blood glucose you will need to eat healthy foods and be active. One may also need to take pills and /or insulin. What is a diabetic? Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body's cells do not...
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...Perception/Management Pattern, Nutrition/Metabolic Pattern, Elimination (Environmental Health Concerns), Activity/Exercise Pattern. African Americans make up the single largest racial minorities in the states. Most African Americans are of west and Central African descent and are descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States. However, some immigrants from African, Caribbean, Central American or South American nations, or their descendants, may be identified or self-identify with the term. Values and belief pattern African American has strong kinship bonds, strong work orientation, strong religious orientation, adaptable family roles, use informal support network – church or community, distrust of government & social services – feel “big brother doesn’t care about us’’, most are assimilated to the Anglo-American culture, take care of their own, don’t like to admit they need help – strong sense of pride, lack of knowledge about available services and how the system works, natural remedies used frequently – laying on of hands and prayer are used to heal, Poverty impacts education, self-esteem, quality of life and lifestyle across the lifespan, seniors are highly respected – aging represents respect, authority and wisdom, tend to keep things hidden within the family system – fear being disgraced or family being disgraced. African American has core values like sharing, expressing personal style, being real and genuine, being assertive, expressing feelings...
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...Diabetes and Pregnancy HCS/245 Instructor September 10, 2012 Abstract Being pregnant is a very exciting time in a women’s life. The thoughts of bring a new life into the world can be exciting and scary at the same time. A woman can have diabetes before becoming pregnant and they can also develop diabetes during pregnancy, this called Gestational diabetes. In the past, women who were known to have diabetes were discouraged about becoming pregnant due to all the health problems for the mother and the health problems that a baby could develop before being born (WebMD, page 1). A few of the health problems for the mother would be: miscarriage, premature delivery, low blood glucose at delivery, eye problems, worsening kidney problems, and preeclampsia just to name a few. The health problems for the baby would be birth defects, prolonged jaundice, respiratory distress syndrome, and being born prematurely and all the problems that go along with being premature. Another common problem with babies of pregnant women with diabetes is that they have very large babies. This happens because the babies receive too much sugar from the mother and it turns to fat which in turn increases the size of the baby. This can make the baby to large to be delivered naturally and a cesarean delivery would then be necessary. As stated in WebMD, “once delivered, the baby could develop dangerously low blood sugar right after delivery because of high levels...
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...Diabetes Overview Almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 23.6 million people in the United States—7.8 percent of the population—have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Of those, 17.9 million have been diagnosed, and 5.7 million have not yet been diagnosed. In 2007, about 1.6 million people ages 20 or older were diagnosed with diabetes. … Source: 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimates of total prevalence-both diagnosed and undiagnosed-were projected to year 2007. What is diabetes? Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism— the way the body uses digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food people eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body. After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach. When people eat, the pancreas automatically produces the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into the cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body in the urine. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of...
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...Study: Diabetes Descriptive Epidemiology Case Study 2 Diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death in the United States is a disease in which the body has a shortage of insulin, a decreased ability to use insulin, or both. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose (sugar) to enter cells and be converted to energy. When diabetes is not controlled, glucose and fats remain in the blood, and, overtime, damage vital organs. In a healthy person, blood sugar levels, which fluctuates based on food intake, exercise and other factors are kept within an acceptable by insulin. Insulin, the hormone produced by the pancreas, helps the body absorb excess sugar from the bloodstream; therefore, in people with diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin thus increasing the blood sugar levels making it difficult to be controlled by insulin. Type 1 diabetes, diagnosed in children and young adults (although it can occur at any age) is an autoimmune disease that may be caused by genetic, environmental or other factors. It accounts for about 5 percent of diabetes cases. Although there are no known ways to prevent it, administration of insulin is an effective treatment. Type 2 diabetes which accounts for 90-95 percent of cases is usually associated with older age, obesity and physical inactivity, family history of type 2 diabetes or a personal history of gestational diabetes. Type 2 diabetes...
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...Diabetes Diabetes mellitus or just diabetes is a disease that is affecting America. It is the most common disorder of the hormone system. There are 23.6 million people in America, both children and adults that have been diagnosed with this disease. That is 7.8% percent of the entire population. Every one of us probably knows someone that has diabetes in some form. Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. This disease comes along and produces many complications to the individuals that have it. These include: heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, blindness and kidney disease, nervous system disease, and amputations. There are three forms of diabetes that a person can have. Type 1 diabetes is usually seen in children and young adults, and cannot be prevented. Type 1 diabetes comes from the body’s inability to produce insulin. Type 1 only accounts for five to ten percents of the total number of people with diabetes. With the use of insulin therapy and other treatments people with Type 1 often live long lives. Type 2 diabetes is much more common than Type 1; it also affects different races more than others. Other than the elder, Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian American and Pacific Islanders are more prone to getting Type 2 diabetes. This form of diabetes comes from the body not producing enough insulin or the cells in the body ignore the insulin that is made. A family history of diabetes will put you at a higher risk...
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... Chronic Disease Risk Assessment Diabetes is a chronic lifelong disease where there are high traces of sugar in the blood. A diabetic individuals pancreas secrets an insufficient amount of insulin or does not use the insulin efficiently. Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas that enables the body to use glucose for energy. Diabetes is caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin or both. Diabetes is the most common disorder of the human hormone system; there are three forms of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is often referred to as insulin dependent diabetes or juvenile-onset diabetes. This form of diabetes usually develops in young adults, teens and children. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s immune system destroys its own insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Individuals with type 1 diabetes have to take insulin medication for the duration of their life. Type 2 diabetes is known as non-insulin dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes, and occurs when the body stops recognizing the insulin secreted by the pancreas. When there isn't enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, sugar can't get into the body's cells. When sugar builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, the body's cells are not able to function properly. Gestational diabetes is another form of type 2 diabetes with conditions characterized by high blood sugar levels which are first recognized...
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