Newly Created Organization Is Ringing The Alarm On African American Diabetes Epidemic

African American Diabetes Association will provide the much-needed outreach, education, research and advocacy

BOSTON , MA, UNITED STATES, May 3, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Boston, MA – African American Diabetes Association established to ring the alarm on the diabetes epidemic and health disparities in the African American communities. The newly formed, first in the nation, African American Diabetes Association will provide the much-needed outreach, education, research and advocacy for the millions of Blacks impacted by health disparities related to diabetes.

Barbara King, a founding Board member and Chairwoman of the Board, a diabetic herself, said, “Data shows and evidence to suggest that African Americans (Blacks) with diabetes in particular have disparate results on outcome measures such as blood glucose control, blood pressure control, A1C values, cholesterol values, and incidences of retinopathy, chronic kidney disease, and lower-extremity amputations.” She went on to say, “Through the African American Diabetes Association, we plan to assist the millions of us living with diabetes to tell our stories and awaken the world. We also plan to develop culturally sensitive strategies, provide African Americans with critical information on Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) such as diet modification, physical activity, mental health and weight management.”

Leon Rock, Founder, and CEO of the tax exempt African American Diabetes Association, who is also a diabetic, said, “We plan to expand and offer membership to community-based organizations (CBOs) throughout the United States. This will allow us to join efforts as we provide culturally competent education and resources, while simultaneously seeking to increase awareness, advocacy, and support to members of the African diaspora impacted by diabetes in America. We value the work of CBOs and plan to work collaboratively across the country to affect positive change at the national, state and local levels. We welcome CBOs to our network, as we are stronger together.”

Rock went on to say, “We are also excited to announce that we have launched our brand new website at www.africanamericandiabetes.org
We see our website as a tool intended to be a living document and the first-stop location for African Americans to visit to learn about African American Diabetes. With time, this tool will only get better.”

According to the Office of Minority Health Resource Center, in 2018, non-Hispanic blacks were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to die from diabetes. African American adults are 60 percent more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.

In 2017, non-Hispanic blacks were 3.2 times more likely to be diagnosed with end-stage renal disease as compared to non-Hispanic whites. In 2017, non-Hispanic blacks were 2.3 times more likely to be hospitalized for lower limb amputations as compared to non-Hispanic whites. It is also important to note Non-Hispanic Black individuals with type 1 diabetes and coronavirus disease 2019 infections may be more likely to be hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) compared with non-Hispanic White patients. A cross-sectional study of patients from over 50 clinical sites in the United States found non-Hispanic Black (NHB) individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections were more likely to be hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) compared with non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients. Results were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Leon Nathaniel Rock
African American Diabetes Association
+1 240-564-9040
[email protected]