Diabetes among Latinos a growing problem
November 9, 2002

It's a deadly disease that some try to cure with herbs and home remedies. But experts say the growing problem of diabetes among Latinos won't be solved until there's better access to health care.

Arcadio Viveros, chief executive officer of the Salud Para La Gente health clinic in Watsonville, Calif., says the incidence of Latino diabetes has reached frightening numbers and is getting worse.

"It is pandemic," Viveros said. "The number of Latinos that are being diagnosed with the disease are continuing to increase."

Viveros said researchers are linking the higher rate of diabetes in Latinos with a combination of a high-fat diet and genetics.

"Certain groups do have more susceptibility to the disease," Viveros said.

Because of a pervasive fear of the disease, many Latinos avoid going to the doctor, Viveros said. Others try to cure their diabetes by eating cactus plants or other home remedies.

But medical supervision is the only way to effectively manage diabetes and to keep patients from developing serious complications, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease and blindness.

According to the American Diabetes Association, approximately 17 million people in the United States, or 6.2 percent of the population, have diabetes. While an estimated 11.1 million have been diagnosed, 5.9 million people are unaware that they have the disease, according to the association.

Lack of testing among Latinos is higher than the rest of the population, experts say.

At the Watsonville clinic, patients are given blood screening every three months. Half of the people served by Salud Para La Gente are uninsured.

Sister Theresa Linehan is helping people in Monterey County who can't afford the high cost of managing their diabetes.

Linehan, a volunteer with Casa de la Cultura in Pajaro, educates and screens farmworkers and other uninsured patients in the area. Unfortunately, she's only able to help a small number of the people who need it.

Linehan focuses on teaching patients how to avoid the complications that are associated with diabetes. People who suffer from diabetes do not produce or properly use insulin, a chemical in the body, which converts sugar, starch and other food into energy. The cause of the disease is still unknown, but researchers have linked genetics, obesity and lack of exercise to diabetes.

"Once they have an understanding a lot are more willing to say, 'I really have to take care of this and start making changes,' " Linehan said.

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Lia Margolis, president of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, said it's a struggle for people with low-wage jobs to take time off work to get tested. For those without health insurance, the long lines in health clinics equal time away from work and a slash in pay.

But the costs of emergency medical care can be devastating for a low-income family, Margolis said.

"Cost of the episodes and of long-term maintenance is a threat to the individual and the entire family," Margolis said.

Margolis said her coalition would like to educate young students in schools about diet and healthy lifestyle, but so far doesn't have money to fund such a program. The group is looking to partner with other organizations to find the money.

Dr. Laura Solorio, general internist with Natividad Medical Center, sees patients who have not been able to control their diabetes. Her patients are suffering from the complications of the disease: blindness, kidney failure, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Solorio said hospitals are trying to figure out the best way of educating Latinos about the disease.

"Diabetes is probably one of the biggest diseases that we're going to have to face in next 10 to 20 years," Solorio said. She said doctors are trying to find the best ways to help Latinos become aware of the dangers of the disease.

Both Natividad and Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital conduct routine diabetes screenings throughout Salinas, but getting the word out and bringing people in to get the tests is a challenge, she said. Some hospitals are reaching Latinos through radio and television announcements, she said, but said Natividad doesn't have the money to consider producing such ads.

Ann Albright, a doctor with the California Diabetes Control Program, said programs that educate the Latino community about diabetes are severely underfunded.

Her program is funded by the Centers for Disease Control, but its outreach isn't keeping up with the growing numbers of people affected by the disease, she said.

"The populations most heavily impacted by diabetes are growing in number," Albright said. "That's an outcome of more sedentary lifestyles and eating choices that aren't the healthiest."