As an orthopedic surgeon serving a primarily minority population in southern California for about 40 years, I performed far too many amputations resulting from complications of type 2 diabetes.
The disease and its devastating effects have been embedded in my medical career since my very first patient. On my first day as a resident at Tien Medical Center in Taiwan, I was called to the emergency department to check on a middle-age woman who was incoherent and very sleepy. In working on her diagnosis, I drew blood and sent it to the lab for tests. Back then, it took 90 minutes or more to get test results. While waiting, I could see her condition gradually deteriorating.
She died before the test results came back. When they did come, they revealed that her blood sugar was above 500mg/dL – a level that can have very serious medical implications and be deadly. When I think about the woman now, I am reminded of all the advances that have been made since then, as well as how much more can be done to improve early detection and prevention of type 2 diabetes, and to help people more effectively manage the disease.
Today, we get blood test results in a matter of minutes and awareness of the dangers of type 2 diabetes is much greater. But like my first patient decades ago, many people still wait to seek treatment until they’re at risk of kidney failure, losing a foot or leg, or losing their life.
This is particularly important as the rates of type 2 diabetes continue to rise among racial and ethnic minorities. Minority populations remain less likely to receive the preventive care they need to stay healthy. Many also face challenges in accessing care that is respectful of cultural difference, especially for English language learners. Others face challenges based on non-health factors such as poverty, unsafe or unhealthy housing and lack of access to healthy and affordable foods.
November is American Diabetes Month and as part of the observance at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Office of Minority Health organized a Diabetes Town Hall to lead a discussion to help us learn more about how the disease affects racial and ethnic minority populations. Leaders from across the various public and private sectors came to share information on issues such as how to delay the onset of type 2 diabetes; how to manage the disease and live healthy and productive lives; and new developments in diabetes care, research and treatment.
And after November ends, we will continue promoting early detection and prevention of type 2 diabetes. Please join us in our commitment to reduce the burden of this growing public health crisis. More information about steps you can take to help detect and prevent diabetes is here.