Kathy Nelson, registered nurse and diabetes educator

The ‘sugars’ are far from sweet

The bad news: simply being black is a risk factor for diabetes. HereÕs what you need to know

BY: Erica Phillips

Some people refer to it as the “sugar disease” or the “sweet urine disease,” but there is nothing sweet about diabetes mellitus (a.k.a. type 2 diabetes), especially its impact on the black community. This is a deadly disease.

Kathy Nelson has been a registered nurse since 1964 and a diabetes educator for the past nine years; she is the founder and president of the Caribbean Diabetes Chapter of the Canadian Diabetes Association. She says 90 per cent of those who have diabetes have type 2. “In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin,” says Nelson, “and the insulin it does produce, the body is not able to use effectively.”

Insulin is a hormone that helps move blood glucose into the body’s cells so it can be used as energy.

Dr. Miriam Rossi of the University of Toronto says statistics regarding black Canadians and illnesses are not maintained, something that she, Nelson and the Black Health Alliance would like to see changed. However, even lacking Canadian statistics, it seems that diabetes is especially common in the black community.

Nelson and Dr. Rossi say there are several risk factors for type 2 diabetes: being black, having family members with it, having hypertension (high blood pressure), having high cholesterol, abdominal obesity (waist circumference of more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women) and, for women, giving birth to a baby weighing nine pounds or more or having polycystic ovarian syndrome.

The average age of onset for type 2 diabetes is 40, but Dr. Rossi recommends blacks be screened earlier because of the higher risk of developing the disease, especially in overweight adults or anyone with the above risk factors.

Nelson says research has shown that 80 to 90 per cent of those with type 2 diabetes are obese. She says diabetes may be prevented or the onset delayed with a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise and a proper diet that features plenty of fruits and vegetables — especially those high in fibre — and fewer refined baked goods.

Diabetes has severe consequences, including blindness and other eye problems, heart disease, kidney disease, impotence, nerve damage and stroke.

Some of the symptoms include frequent vaginal infections, cuts that won’t heal (or heal slowly), erectile dysfunction, weight change, unusual thirst, frequent urination, lack of energy and blurred vision.

Heather (not her real name) is a 66-year-old retired professor who lives in Toronto. She was first diagnosed with diabetes in 1982 as part of a routine screening. Insulin injections, regular exercise and a proper diet help her manage her diabetes. She also keeps herself educated, attending workshops and seminars. Having diabetes has not prevented her from enjoying a wide range of activities. “Some may take additional planning, such as availability of meals or, for extended travel to foreign countries, availability of medication,” she says.

Heather, who has family members with type 2 diabetes, says it’s important to keep learning, keep testing and focus on prevention to avoid complications.

- To be your own health advocate, visit diabetes.ca