Image Viewer

 Content Editor ‭[3]‬

​​

​​

 Content Editor ‭[1]‬

​The following statistics are from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the American Diabetes Association:
  • 23.6 million people in the United States are affected by diabetes (90% - 95% have type-2 diabetes)
  • 17.9 million are diagnosed with diabetes and  5.7 million are undiagnosed
  • Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death
  • Diabetes costs $116 billion annually in direct medical costs

 Content Editor ‭[4]‬

​​​

​​

 Content Editor ‭[2]‬

Approximately 3.7 million African Americans are living with diabetes. This is 14.7% of all African Americans aged 20 years and older. The health disparities between African Americans and whites living with diabetes are detailed below (available online at http://www.uchospitals.edu/online-library/content=P00353​):
  • African Americans are hospitalized for diabetes 1.5 to 4 times more than whites. 
  • African Americans are more likely than whites to suffer from diabetes-related complications, such as end-stage renal disease, diabetic retinopathy (that can lead to blindness), and amputation of limbs. 
  • African Americans with diabetes experience kidney failure about 4 times more often than whites.
  • Gestational diabetes may be 50% to 80% more likely among African American women than among whites.
​​These health disparities show a need to address the growing problem of diabetes in the African American community. LIFE is a response to these inequalities.