Diabetes

According to the Office of Minority Health, Natives are almost three times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes. In 2018, Natives were 2.3 times more likely to die from diabetes than non-Hispanic whites. Lastly, in 2017, Natives were twice as likely to be diagnosed with end-stage renal disease than non-Hispanic whites.

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic (long-lasting) health condition that impacts how your body uses food. More specifically how your body turns food into energy.

Types of Diabetes

The three main types of diabetes are type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant)

Type 1 diabetes: thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction (the body attacks itself by mistake) that stops your body from making insulin
Type 2 diabetes: your body doesn't use insulin well and can't keep blood sugar at normal levels
Gestational diabetes: only develops in pregnant women who have never had diabetes

Prediabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 88 million adults have prediabetes. That is more than 1 in 3 people. Even more concerning is that more than 84% of them do not know they have it. A person with prediabetes has blood sugar levels that are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes Stats

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States
Over the last 20 years, the number of persons diagnosed with diabetes has more than doubled
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower-limb amputations, and adult blindness

Risk Factors

There are several factors that increase your risk of developing diabetes. Some of these factors are:

Obesity and overweight
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
High cholesterol
Cigarette smoking

Information gathered from the CDC.

We support our relatives with diabetes.

Great Plains Good Health and Wellness

GPTLHB’s Great Plains Good Health and Wellness (GPGHW) program use evidence-informed, culturally rooted health promotion and disease prevention initiatives to help Great Plains area tribes combat obesity, commercial tobacco use, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.