America’s Diabetes Challenge is on a mission to shed light on the impact of type 2 diabetes on the multicultural community
(BPT) - Did you know African American and Hispanic adults in the United States are at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes? In the United States alone, this disease is the fifth leading cause of death in the African-American community and nearly 13 percent of Hispanic adults are diagnosed with diabetes.
This is why Merck and the American Diabetes Association have teamed up on America’s Diabetes Challenge to raise awareness of why it is so important for Hispanics and African Americans with type 2 diabetes to work with their doctor to set and reach their A1C (average blood glucose over 2-3 months) goal. Through the program, they can also learn if they are at risk of low blood glucose, known as hypoglycemia, and how to help reduce that risk.
Known for her long-running role on “Law & Order” and Tony-nominated stage performances, S. Epatha Merkerson is part of the at-risk African-American population, and received an important wake-up call thirteen years ago when she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Despite having a family history of diabetes, and losing her father and grandmother to complications of type 2 diabetes, she was unaware that she too had the condition.
Similar to S. Epatha, celebrity chef and cookbook author Leticia Moreinos Schwartz also has a family history of diabetes. Her grandfather struggled with type 2 diabetes for many years, before passing away from a stroke, one of the serious complications of diabetes. Therefore, she has seen firsthand some of the challenges people with type 2 diabetes can face. The loss of her grandfather prompted her entire family to learn more about the risks of developing type 2 diabetes and to make changes to their lifestyles.
Both women are highly passionate about educating others on the importance of working with their doctor to manage their diabetes, and to set and reach an individualized A1C goal. In fact, about one-third of U.S. adults living with diabetes are not at their A1C goal. Together, Merkerson and Moreinos Schwartz are working to change that statistic.
Merkerson and Moreinos Schwartz are prompting these disproportionally affected groups to take the pledge to set and reach their A1C goal by accepting America’s Diabetes Challenge. They are also encouraging African Americans and Hispanics to find out if they are at risk of low blood glucose and how to help reduce that risk.
Many people with diabetes are already aware of the importance of controlling high blood glucose with diet, exercise and taking medicine (if prescribed), but they may not know that blood glucose can also go too low. Some diabetes medications can cause low blood glucose, particularly if patients skip meals, change their diet or increase their exercise. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you are experiencing any problems with high and low blood glucose.
Key questions to ask your doctor
Achieving blood glucose control can be challenging, yet it is a crucial part of a diabetes management plan. America’s Diabetes Challenge encourages people to stay motivated and take an active role in controlling their blood glucose by asking a few key questions to guide their discussion with their doctor:
* What is my A1C and what should my goal be?
* What are the signs and symptoms of high and low blood glucose?
* Do I need to make any changes to my diabetes management plan?
* What are benefits and possible side effects of the medicine(s) I’m taking?
* What are the causes of high and low blood glucose?
For more information, and to join Merkerson and Moreinos Schwartz in pledging, visit www.AmericasDiabetesChallenge.com. Additionally, you can find Spanish language resources at www.DesafiandoLaDiabetes.com. You can also join the America’s Diabetes Challenge Facebook community at Facebook.com/AmericasDiabetesChallenge.
