Experts Weigh in on Diabetes in the Black Community

(WIB) – Diabetes has been a known disease that has widely affected the Black community — but it is a disease that can be managed. According to a report from the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is categorized as a chronic long-lasting condition that affects how the body uses food for energy. Diabetic people cannot produce enough insulin naturally, leaving an excess amount of blood sugar in the bloodstream.In the data collected from the CDC, there are over 38 million Americans that have been diagnosed with diabetes. One in five Americans are unaware that they have the disease.“Diabetes can be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors,”said Perina V. Gaines, president of the Black Nurses Rock D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) Chapter.Gaines told the AFRO that in Washington D.C, there are approximately 42,900 adults that have had a diabetic diagnosis based on CDC data. 13.5 percent of diabetic adults in D.C, are Black or African-American.Type 1 diabetes is primarily an autoimmune response when, “the body’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas,” Gaines stated, adding that Type 2 diabetes may result from lifestyle factors such as obesity, lack of physical activity and poor...