Treatment and Care for American Indians/Alaska Natives
Consider these sobering statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Indian Health Service:
- 2.2 times higher— Likelihood of American Indians and Alaska Natives to have diabetes compared with non-Hispanic whites
- 68%— Percent increase in diabetes from 1994 to 2004 in American Indian and Alaska Native youth aged 15-19 years
- 95%— Percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives with diabetes who have type 2 diabetes (as opposed to type 1 diabetes)
- 30% — Estimated percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives who have pre-diabetes
American Indians and Alaska Natives are clearly at greater risk. Educate yourself on how to prevent type 2 diabetes if you don't have it now, or how to effectively treat it if you've been diagnosed.