Ethnic split in diabetes control remains

According to a recent report, the split in the effectiveness of diabetes management between white people and African Americans/Latinos remains. Despite numerous advances in diabetes care, both ethnic groups are less likely than white people to keep their blood sugar levels under control.
The data was gleaned by an American nationally representative study. Those diabetics who keep their blood glucose less under control are more likely to suffer from a wide variety of complications, some of which can be fatal. These include: kidney failure, heart attack, blindness, amputation and many more.
Experts at the University of Michigan and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System conducted the study, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine this month. The study reinforces long-held conclusions about diabetes and these ethnic groups.
Michele Heisler, an expert involved in the study, reportedly commented: “To improve diabetes outcomes, we must do better at supporting all patients in managing their disease through treatment and lifestyle change. But we need to tailor specific interventions to address the barriers to achieving good diabetes control that African American and Latino adults with diabetes disproportionately face.”