Lack of Madical Care Increases Risk of Diabetes
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Diabetes is a leading cause of disability in the United States. Unfortunately, the poor who do not have access to good medical care are more prone to disability from this horrible disease that those who have access to good medical care.
According to a study released on Friday, February 15 by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, managing the disabling condition of diabetes is made more difficult for Hispanics than non-Hispanics due to the lack of access to health care.
The researchers at Wake reviewed 11 studies that found that Hispanic diabetes patients measure levels approximately 0.5 higher than those of non-Hispanic white patients on the A1C test, which measures blood-sugar control.
Over a period of two to three months the test measures hemoglobin linked with glucose, or blood sugar. Higher values on the A1C test indicate difficulty of the patient controlling their blood sugar.
According to Dr. Julienne Kirk, an associate professor of family and community medicine at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and lead author of the study, the researchers weren't surprised by what they found since in the U.S., ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by the disabling condition. She added that a year ago, they found a similar trend among the African-American population.
Kirk said that what was surprising was that the largest difference was among non managed-care insurance groups.
She noted that a large percentage of Hispanics in the U.S. have low incomes, are without health insurance, and have limited health care access. She also cited a lack of communication and lack of trust in the health-care system as potential obstacles for proper control of diabetes for Hispanics.
Kirk said that the knowledge of some minority groups showing higher A1C levels could lead to early treatment and awareness of the disabling condition.