diabetes and people of native descent

Erin RN · Jan 4, 2004

I used to do disease Management with diabetics and for every one caucasion with diabetes there are 2.5 native americans with the illness..very high prevalence in this group.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2004

In The U.S. many Native American's are diabetics.

I lived in a part of Arizona surrounded by Indian Reservations. The rate of diabetes of one of the tribes was 50%.

I've read that this is thought to be due to the "thrifty gene".

It seems that the same gene that helped them to survive very limited food supplies for many generations is now causing them to become diabetic, now that food is plentiful and the diet is high-carb.

adrienurse, LPN · Jan 4, 2004

Yep! But Erin we both live in the same city! (Winnipeg)

Rustyhammer · Jan 4, 2004

It is true.

American Indians have a higher rate of DM.

I have read that this is partly due to the new "American diet".

In the past we ate what we grew or killed or naturally harvested.

Now the McDonalds lifestyle is changing the health of the Indians.

-Russell

It's ok to say "Indians".

gwenith, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2004

Here is a link to the Australian data among the Australian Aborigines.

http://www.atsic.gov.au/issues/disadvantage/health/Default.asp

How bad is Aboriginal health?

Many Aboriginal health problems begin even before birth and form part of a cyclical pattern affecting our health. Our babies are twice as likely to be of low birth weight, to die or fail to thrive. Low birth weight, poor diets and poor environmental conditions retard our children's growth and lower their immunity to infectious conditions and kidney disease. Access to renal dialysis is problematic with the number of Aborigines on renal dialysis doubling every two years.

Aboriginal peoples die 15-20 years younger than the Australian population, with

23 times the average death rate from infections of the kidney,

12-17 times the average for diabetes (one of the highest rates in the world) and

3-5 times the death rate from chronic respiratory disease.

We are 10 times more likely to suffer blindness than the general population, largely because of corneal scarring from trachoma or unoperated cataract and, increasingly, from diabetes.

adrienurse, LPN · Jan 4, 2004

I don't like to say Indians -- it was drilled into me during my youth (I have Sautaux blood as well).

I think it's a Plains Indian thing. Through natural selection the people that could handle the nomadic (feast or famine) lifestyle survived. Now those who don't live that lifestyle are sick.

The levels of the disease in the Northern communities here are mindboggling.

LydiaGreen · Jan 4, 2004

Well, hello 'peggers... I'm just east of you over the ontario/manitoba border. I actually went to a lecture put on by the doc who did the thrifty gene research (Sandy Lake) at a Diabetes convention. Their interventions and education programs in one of our northern communities has produced dramatic results.

I have also seen a lot of research about the development of the same survival mechanism in utero... a fetus that does not get an adequate amount of nutrition will be programed to store fat and have a reduced metabolism. It truly is an epidemic.

P.S. - We have been raised here in NWOntario to always say First Nations person, or people.