What is diabetes and what is its prevalence in African American women?
Diabetes is an abnormal metabolism of sugar that happens when the body does not produce enough insulin. Type II or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus affects about 16 million American people. Among African American women, this form of diabetes has reached epidemic proportions. About 1 in 4 black women over the age of 55 years of age has diabetes, nearly twice the rate of white women.
Within the last ten years research has been focused on examining racial differences in the cause, treatment and long term complications of this disease. African Americans experience higher rates of at least three of diabetes’ most serious complications. They are blindness, amputation and kidney failure.
Research suggests that many African Americans carry a gene that predisposes them toward impaired glucose tolerance, one of the risk factors for diabetes. African American women also have a higher rate of obesity, another risk factor for diabetes.
What are the risk factors for diabetes in African American women?
One of the most important risk factors is obesity. African American women between the ages of 25 and 74 are more overweight compared to white women of the same age group. Obesity and diabetes are highly correlated especially among women. This correlation has been reported by many researchers.
The location of body fat also plays a role in the risk for African American women. Women who have most of their body fat in the abdominal area are more at risk than women who carry their weight on their hips and buttocks.
Another risk factor is lack of physical activity. African American women are significantly less active than white women.
Women who have a family member with diabetes also are at a higher risk for developing this disease.
What is the treatment for diabetes in African American women?
It is up to your doctor to prescribe management but you as the patient need to also take control of your life. Treatment consists of either medication (by mouth or insulin injections) and lifestyle changes. They consist of nutrition and weight management, along with regular activity and exercise.
Weight loss is very important in the management of diabetes and may decrease your need for medication. Weight loss programs for African American women should address a large range of attitudes, beliefs and sociocultural factors that would inhibit weight loss in minority women.
Exercise is also very important in the treatment of diabetes. However, designing a program that is appropriate to the needs of African American women is challenging. Women who work or who are single with children have difficulty finding time to exercise. African American women, as all women, should find reasonable and affordable ways to exercise, including walking, jogging, community sports or in-home exercise videos.
National Women’s Health Information Center
Office of Women’s Health
Department of Health and Human Services