Our communities have and are being severely affected by diabetes. We all either know someone close with it, have a loved one that suffers from this life altering and dangerous disease.
The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) was launched by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in part to fill in knowledge gaps regarding the prevalence and development of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, among the diverse members of these populations. It found considerable diversity among Hispanic/Latino groups when it comes to the prevalence of diabetes, as well as a low rate of diabetes awareness, diabetes control and health insurance.
The study found that the prevalence of total diabetes (both diagnosed and undiagnosed) among all Hispanic/Latino groups was roughly 16.9 percent for both men and women, compared to 10.2 percent for non-Hispanic whites.
However, when looking at Hispanic/Latino groups individually, it found that prevalence varied from a high of 18.3 percent for those of Mexican descent to a low of 10.2 percent for people of South American descent. The study showed 18.1 percent of people of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent; 17.7 percent of Central American descent; and 13.4 percent of Cuban descent living in the United States had type 2 diabetes.
Hopefully YOU don’t have it or are prone to have it, BUT, the good news is that there are many things you can do to keep from getting it, alleviate it or even down right eliminate it. It all starts with empowering yourself through education, proceeded by on-going action to proper diet, exercise and support. It will take some discipline and effort, but You CAN do it. Help is on the way.
In recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month, Lenox Hill Hospital, a member of Northwell Health, along with a coalition of other leading health care providers, government officials, public- and private-sector companies, community-based organizations and the news media, are collectively pledging to help build a sustainable path to health and wellness for the Latino community affected by diabetes. At a press conference and kick-off event held today at the Gerald J. Friedman Diabetes Institute in New York City, the launch of “¡Vida SI, Diabetes NO!” (Life YES! Diabetes NO!), a new bilingual, long-term health initiative, was announced.
“¡Vida SI, Diabetes NO!” (Life YES! Diabetes NO!) is an outcomes-focused approach that will take a comprehensive and systematic look at diabetes among Latinos with the goal of uncovering the root causes, leading to more effective and efficient delivery of prevention, education, testing and treatment.
→Listen to Audio interview with Josephine Guzman, Senior Director Physician Relations Management, Northwell Health below.
Hispanics are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health and national examination surveys. They have higher rates of end-stage renal disease caused by diabetes and are 40 percent more likely to die from diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.
→Listen to Audio interview with Doctor Maria Pena, Endocrinologist & Assistant Professor of Medicine, Hofstra, Northwell School of Medicine below.
“To date, many well-meaning initiatives have been launched that have attempted to deliver education and awareness to the community and increased opportunities for testing. However, none seem to have gone far enough or have been sustainable enough to make a real impact,” said Dennis Connors, Regional Executive Director for Northwell Health and Executive Director for Lenox Hill Hospital. “We are proud to lead this initiative as this coalition has the resources, the power and the influence to make a true and meaningful impact on the health and wellness of the Latino community affected by diabetes.”
Additional friends of the campaign who have committed to providing support include American Heart Association, Comunilife, CS55, Fantástico, Latinarrific and Regional Aid for Interim Needs, Inc. (R.A.I.N.).
“The coalition’s work begins with a comprehensive and systematic look at diabetes among Latinos, community by community, block by block, person by person and gene by gene,” said Dr. Jill Kalman, Medical Director, Lenox Hill Hospital. “Our goal is to uncover the root cause and build a comprehensive action plan to reverse the trajectory in a way that has never been done before.”
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“Diabetes and its related diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and obesity, are tearing at the fabric of this community as well as being a key driver of America’s rising health care burden,” added Dr. Leonid Poretsky, Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Director of the newly opened Friedman Diabetes Institute, where the press conference was held. “Diabetes should not prevent anyone from achieving their life goals.”
You can follow the campaign and get updates on “¡Vida SI, Diabetes NO!” (Life YES, Diabetes NO!) on social media including Facebook https://www.facebook.com/VidaSIDiabetesNO on https://twitter.com/VSIDNO and on Instagram under user name @vsidno.
About Lenox Hill Hospital
Lenox Hill Hospital, a member of Northwell Health, is a 652-bed, fully accredited, acute care hospital located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side with a national reputation for outstanding patient care and innovative medical and surgical treatments. US News & World Report has ranked the hospital among the nation’s top 50 in Cardiology and Heart Surgery and among the top 10 hospitals in the state of New York with a total of 11 “high performing” designations for its clinical performance in Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Ear, Nose & Throat, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Geriatrics, Gynecology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology.
About “¡Vida SI, Diabetes NO!” (Life YES, Diabetes NO!)
Lenox Hill Hospital, a member of Northwell Health, in coalition with an unprecedented group of leading healthcare providers, public and private sector companies, community-based organizations and the media are pooling their individual strengths and coming together build a sustainable path to health and wellness for the Latino community affected by diabetes. The result is the launch of “¡Vida SI, Diabetes NO!” (Life YES, Diabetes NO!), a testing and education initiative designed to reduce the prevalence of diabetes in Latino communities.Partners include American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Azteca America, Comunilife, CS 55, Fantástico, Goya Foods, Hispanic Federation, Humana, Latinarrific, Lenox Hill Hospital, Maimonides Medical Center, Mario Bosquez – Author The Chalupa Rules, Office of the Bronx Borough President, Office of the Brooklyn Borough President, Office of the Manhattan Borough President, Regional Aid for Interim Needs, Inc. (R.A.I.N.), Telemundo47, The Katz Institute for Women’s Health, Univision, Union Community Health Center, and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.
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