Visit http://www.realhealthworks.com// for more info

1. Diabetes remains an epidemic in the U.S., but experts are
now more concerned that certain populations may not be
getting the right kind of treatment because of their ethnic
and cultural beliefs.

2. Physicians can't use a one-size-fits-all approach to treating
patients with diabetes; physicians, families and
community leaders must work together to develop
culturally specific programs, according to Dr. Kevin
McKinney, Minority Health Affairs Committee chairman of
the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

3. Cultural viewpoints of medicine and disease only
compound the issue, said McKinney, who spoke at a
recent American Medical Association media briefing on
diabetes.

4. For instance, in some societies, religion influences one's
physical and emotional well-being equally. When an
illness occurs, a family may seek out the advice of a
religious leader before consulting a physician, which
would delay treatment and increase the risk of
complications.

5. "Most people in these communities don't even know
they're at risk," McKinney said. "They may know about
diabetes and its effects, but they're unaware that living a
healthy lifestyle can help reduce their risk."

6. McKinney stresses that education is the key to eliminating
the prevalence of diabetes in certain communities and
suggests programs that pair education with a cultural
activity.

7. "Programs held at community and religious centers can
focus on diabetes risk factors and some of the healthier
approaches to traditional foods that may help in reducing
those risks," McKinney said.

8. More than 21 million Americans now have diabetes - a
number that experts say may climb as high as 31 million
by the year 2050. Every 24 hours, another 4,100 people in
the United States are diagnosed with the disease.

9. But despite these dire statistics, Dr. Frank Vinicor, director
of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, says that the medical
community is making great strides to combat this
epidemic.

10. "We know that you do not have to develop type 2
diabetes if you're at high risk, and that if you do have
diabetes, you don't have to lose your eyes, your feet or
your heart," Vinicor said at the briefing.

11. The overall outlook for diabetes is beginning to improve,
Vinicor said.

12. "The rates of amputations and end-stage kidney disease
due to diabetes are actually beginning to fall," he said.
"The preliminary data indicate that fewer people with
diabetes are dying. So we're seeing some light at the end
of the tunnel."

13. http://www.realhealthworks.com//