Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRace and DiabetesDiabetes and Heart Disease RiskDiabetes DisparitiesFinding CareDiabetes TreatmentResources
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Race and Diabetes
Diabetes and Heart Disease Risk
Diabetes Disparities
Finding Care
Diabetes Treatment
Resources
This article is part ofHealth Divide: Heart Disease Risk Factors, a destination in our Health Divide series.
Type 2 diabetes—a chronic condition that affects the way the body processes blood sugar (glucose)—is one of the leading causes of heart disease in Black communities.
Zoe Hansen / Verywell
Differences in genetics, high rates of obesity, insulin resistance, and living in an under-served neighborhood are just some of the factors contributing to this disparity.
This article will review diabetes as a risk factor for heart disease and how finding care and using an integrative treatment approach can lower your diabetes risk.
Facts About Race and Diabetes
According to the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Minority Health, 13.4% of Black men and 12.7% of Black women over the age of 18 are diagnosed with diabetes.
Black people get diabetes at a 60% higher rate than White people.
Diabetes is a condition that usually shows few, if any, symptoms early on.Therefore, these figures are likely an underestimation, and more Black people may be living with diabetes before it is diagnosed.
Why Diabetes Is a Risk Factor for Heart Disease
Diabetes and heart disease are two independent medical conditions with many connection points.
The Connection Between Diabetes and Heart DiseaseHaving one of these conditions puts you at higher risk for the other.If you or a loved one has diabetes, good heart health is just as important as blood sugar management.
The Connection Between Diabetes and Heart Disease
Having one of these conditions puts you at higher risk for the other.If you or a loved one has diabetes, good heart health is just as important as blood sugar management.
Having one of these conditions puts you at higher risk for the other.
If you or a loved one has diabetes, good heart health is just as important as blood sugar management.
Chronically high blood glucose levels over time can damage the blood vessels and nerves that control the heart, leading to heart disease.
While the role of your genes in this process is largely unknown, behavioral factors can accelerate this process, including:
Underlying Cause of Diabetes Disparities
Type 2 diabetes affects Black communities more than other groups.
Differences in health status, access to health care, and income are largely the main drivers of these health disparities.
Social and economic barriers make accessing care more difficult for many Black people.
High healthcare costs coupled with lower insurance rates mean that many Black people cannot afford quality medical care and prescription medications, so conditions such as diabetes are not managed as well as they could be and subsequently result in poorer outcomes.
Why Racism Is a Risk Factor
These practices make it nearly impossible for those who are most vulnerable to make the changes they need to change or improve their health.
Other Risk Factors
You are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes if you:
Your healthcare team is an incredibly important part of your diabetes management.
Lack of Black Healthcare ProvidersAs of 2018, 5.4% of physicians identified as Black despite Black Americans making up 13.4% of the U.S. population.
Lack of Black Healthcare Providers
As of 2018, 5.4% of physicians identified as Black despite Black Americans making up 13.4% of the U.S. population.
Finding a Black Healthcare ProviderIf you are trying to find a Black healthcare provider, websites likeBlackdoctor.organdFindABlackDoctor.comhave created search engines that can help.
Finding a Black Healthcare Provider
If you are trying to find a Black healthcare provider, websites likeBlackdoctor.organdFindABlackDoctor.comhave created search engines that can help.
Questions to Ask
Choosing the right healthcare provider isn’t easy. It requires you to ask yourself and the office staff many important self-reflective and open-ended questions to ensure that they are right for you.
Some introspective questions you might ask yourself include:
Some questions you may want to ask your healthcare provider directly include:
Here are some diabetes-specific questions you may want to ask:
You may also want to ask the staff and other people who have previously worked with your potential healthcare provider about their experience. While you cannot, and should not, base your decision solely on the opinion of others, sharing what you know can add perspective to this very important decision.
An Integrative Treatment Approach
Treating diabetes may include a mix of lifestyle changes and medication.
Lifestyle
Type 2 diabetes is largely thought of as a lifestyle disease. No matter your age, it’s never too early to start an anti-diabetes lifestyle that includes:
The American Diabetes Association recommends that most adults begin diabetes screening at the age of 45. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening for people 35 and up who are overweight or obese.
If you have prediabetes or early-stage type 2 diabetes, changing your diet may help you reverse course.
There are some diets, sometimes called “diabetic diets”—such as theMediterraneanandDASHdiets—that have been proven to keep blood sugars within a healthy range.
These diets all encourage:
The goal is to provide you with the macronutrients you need while cutting the simple carbs that lead to spikes in blood sugar andLDL, or bad cholesterol, that puts you at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
Eating healthy also provides the added benefit of weight loss or healthy weight maintenance. Coupling a heart-healthy diet with routine exercise can lead to a precipitous drop in your heart disease risk.
Medication
Daily insulin via injection or aninsulin pumpis the mainstay of treatment for type 1 diabetes.
Over time, a person with type 2 diabetes may need to add insulin to their treatment regimen if the combination of lifestyle modifications and oral medication does not control blood sugar levels.
The following programs are tailored to Black communities at high risk for type 2 diabetes:
Summary
A Word From Verywell
People who adopt healthy behaviors are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, but anyone can develop the condition at some point in their life.
Fortunately, diabetes and its related complications often can be controlled with appropriate health care and patient self-management techniques. However, this isn’t always the case for Black people, especially those who live in underserved areas.
Even when socioeconomic status is equal, Black people often face barriers to quality care that hinder their ability to meet treatment goals, underscoring the need for systemic changes in society that address the inequities that hinder Black people from achieving their best health.
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Osei K, Gaillard T.Disparities in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk factors in blacks and whites: dissecting racial paradox of metabolic syndrome.Front Endocrinol. 2017;0. doi:10.3389/fendo.2017.00204Haw JS, Shah M, Turbow S, Egeolu M, Umpierrez G.Diabetes complications in racial and ethnic minority populations in the USA.Curr Diab Rep. 2021;21(1):2. doi:10.1007/s11892-020-01369-xOffice of Minority Health.Diabetes and African Americans.Leon BM, Maddox TM.Diabetes and cardiovascular disease: epidemiology, biological mechanisms, treatment recommendations and future research.World Journal of Diabetes. 2015;6(13):1246-1258. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i13.1246Rodríguez JE, Campbell KM.Racial and ethnic disparities in prevalence and care of patients with type 2 diabetes.Clin Diabetes. 2017;35(1):66-70. doi:10.23372Fcd15-0048Eaton TM, Kumanyika S, DiSantis KI, Yadeta K, Grier S.Black community conversations about opposing ethnically targeted marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.J Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2021. doi:10.1007/s40615-021-01133-1National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease.Type 2 diabetes.Association of American Medical Colleges.Diversity in medicine: facts and figures 2019.Hall WJ, Chapman MV, Lee KM, et al.Implicit racial/ethnic bias among health care professionals and its influence on health care outcomes: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2015;105(12):e60-e76. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302903National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diabetes.US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(8):736–743. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.12531
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Osei K, Gaillard T.Disparities in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk factors in blacks and whites: dissecting racial paradox of metabolic syndrome.Front Endocrinol. 2017;0. doi:10.3389/fendo.2017.00204Haw JS, Shah M, Turbow S, Egeolu M, Umpierrez G.Diabetes complications in racial and ethnic minority populations in the USA.Curr Diab Rep. 2021;21(1):2. doi:10.1007/s11892-020-01369-xOffice of Minority Health.Diabetes and African Americans.Leon BM, Maddox TM.Diabetes and cardiovascular disease: epidemiology, biological mechanisms, treatment recommendations and future research.World Journal of Diabetes. 2015;6(13):1246-1258. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i13.1246Rodríguez JE, Campbell KM.Racial and ethnic disparities in prevalence and care of patients with type 2 diabetes.Clin Diabetes. 2017;35(1):66-70. doi:10.23372Fcd15-0048Eaton TM, Kumanyika S, DiSantis KI, Yadeta K, Grier S.Black community conversations about opposing ethnically targeted marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.J Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2021. doi:10.1007/s40615-021-01133-1National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease.Type 2 diabetes.Association of American Medical Colleges.Diversity in medicine: facts and figures 2019.Hall WJ, Chapman MV, Lee KM, et al.Implicit racial/ethnic bias among health care professionals and its influence on health care outcomes: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2015;105(12):e60-e76. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302903National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diabetes.US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(8):736–743. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.12531
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Osei K, Gaillard T.Disparities in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk factors in blacks and whites: dissecting racial paradox of metabolic syndrome.Front Endocrinol. 2017;0. doi:10.3389/fendo.2017.00204Haw JS, Shah M, Turbow S, Egeolu M, Umpierrez G.Diabetes complications in racial and ethnic minority populations in the USA.Curr Diab Rep. 2021;21(1):2. doi:10.1007/s11892-020-01369-xOffice of Minority Health.Diabetes and African Americans.Leon BM, Maddox TM.Diabetes and cardiovascular disease: epidemiology, biological mechanisms, treatment recommendations and future research.World Journal of Diabetes. 2015;6(13):1246-1258. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i13.1246Rodríguez JE, Campbell KM.Racial and ethnic disparities in prevalence and care of patients with type 2 diabetes.Clin Diabetes. 2017;35(1):66-70. doi:10.23372Fcd15-0048Eaton TM, Kumanyika S, DiSantis KI, Yadeta K, Grier S.Black community conversations about opposing ethnically targeted marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.J Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2021. doi:10.1007/s40615-021-01133-1National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease.Type 2 diabetes.Association of American Medical Colleges.Diversity in medicine: facts and figures 2019.Hall WJ, Chapman MV, Lee KM, et al.Implicit racial/ethnic bias among health care professionals and its influence on health care outcomes: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2015;105(12):e60-e76. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302903National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diabetes.US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(8):736–743. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.12531
Osei K, Gaillard T.Disparities in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes risk factors in blacks and whites: dissecting racial paradox of metabolic syndrome.Front Endocrinol. 2017;0. doi:10.3389/fendo.2017.00204
Haw JS, Shah M, Turbow S, Egeolu M, Umpierrez G.Diabetes complications in racial and ethnic minority populations in the USA.Curr Diab Rep. 2021;21(1):2. doi:10.1007/s11892-020-01369-x
Office of Minority Health.Diabetes and African Americans.
Leon BM, Maddox TM.Diabetes and cardiovascular disease: epidemiology, biological mechanisms, treatment recommendations and future research.World Journal of Diabetes. 2015;6(13):1246-1258. doi:10.4239/wjd.v6.i13.1246
Rodríguez JE, Campbell KM.Racial and ethnic disparities in prevalence and care of patients with type 2 diabetes.Clin Diabetes. 2017;35(1):66-70. doi:10.23372Fcd15-0048
Eaton TM, Kumanyika S, DiSantis KI, Yadeta K, Grier S.Black community conversations about opposing ethnically targeted marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages.J Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. 2021. doi:10.1007/s40615-021-01133-1
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Disease.Type 2 diabetes.
Association of American Medical Colleges.Diversity in medicine: facts and figures 2019.
Hall WJ, Chapman MV, Lee KM, et al.Implicit racial/ethnic bias among health care professionals and its influence on health care outcomes: a systematic review.Am J Public Health. 2015;105(12):e60-e76. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302903
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of diabetes.
US Preventive Services Task Force.Screening for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement.JAMA. 2021;326(8):736–743. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.12531
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