Almost half of all the adults in the United States have at least one chronic medical condition. These conditions include many which disproportionately plague Latinos, such as diabetes and lung disease. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health coverage for chronically ill patients has increased by nearly 5%. While this has shown to be a significant gain, more work needs to be done. A study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine studied adults between the ages of 18 and 64, the largest pool taking part in the Health Insurance Marketplace. “We wanted to see how many people were uninsured and clearly needed health insurance,” said Dr. Hugo Torres, of the Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, MA in an interview with USA Today. “We know the prevalence of ...
A new study from researchers at Tufts University and the University of Cambridge reports that eating more unsaturated fats or saturated fats in place of dietary carbohydrates lowers blood sugar levels and improves insulin resistance and secretion. According to the Mayo Clinic, healthy fats consist of mainly monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, like certain types of fish and nuts, as well as room temperature oils like olive oil, safflower oil, and peanut oil. Fats to avoid are found in beef, butter, shortening and pork. The findings of the study looked at 102 randomized controlled trials of over four thousand adults, who had meals that varied in types of amounts of fat and carbs. The study revealed that for each five percent of dietary energy switched from carbs to saturated ...
Although fewer Americans overall are dying from heart disease than 40 years ago, researchers have found that the top “hotbeds” for heart disease have migrated to the Southern U.S. In the 1970s, the counties with the highest heart disease rates were clustered in the northeast, according to a new study, HealthDay reports. Now, they are concentrated in what is considered the “deep” South, a region where the Latino population is large. The U.S. southwest, for example, is by far the most Latino region of the country, but the entire Latino population is booming in the South, according to a report. The study has not determined the causes for the shift, only the trend. “[From] other studies we know the socioeconomic conditions of a county can affect rates of smoking and ...
When diabetic Hispanic seniors got education about the disease and how to manage it from community health workers, called promotores de salud in Latino communities, they positively changed their diabetes self-management behaviors and health outcomes, according to a recent pilot study. Now the study organizers, Humana Inc., are launching a larger study to test this effect of promotores and a culturally tailored diabetes self-management program. The new study, which partners with National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Mexican American Unity Council, and other partners, is a one-year test of the new model with 150 Hispanic seniors with type 2 diabetes in San Antonio, Texas. “We are very encouraged by the results of the pilot, which show that this approach to diabetes management ...
Check out this cool video about a project that uses trained community health workers—called promotores de salud—to help Latino senior citizens better manage their type 2 diabetes and develop healthier lifestyles. Promotores can help bridge gaps in access to health care and health information. The project involves the Mexican Unity Council, Humana, and the National Council of La ...
The National Diabetes Education Program's new bilingual fotonovela, Do it for them! But also for yourself (Hazlo por ellos! Pero por ti también), helps Latinas at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The fotonovela uses role models to demonstrate how women can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes through increased physical activity, healthy food choices, and weight loss. The fotonovela tells the story of three friends, Elisa, Raquel, and Lourdes, who work at a local dry cleaners/laundry facility. All of them have children. Elisa is Mexican, married, and has two small children. Her wise and humorous mother, Doña Emma, gives her lots of advice about how to be healthy. Raquel is from Puerto Rico. She is single and raising her 13-year-old sister. Lourdes is from ...
