Hispanic/Latino Americans and Type 2 Diabetes

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Learn about type 2 diabetes risk and tips for prevention and management.

People of certain racial and ethnic groups are more likely to develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, including African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, and Asian Americans. Learn why Hispanic/Latino risk is higher, and some ways to prevent type 2 diabetes or manage diabetes if you already have it.

Hispanic/Latino Americans make up a diverse group that includes people of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South and Central American, and other Spanish cultures, and all races. Each has its own history and traditions, but all are more likely to have type 2 diabetes (17%) than non-Hispanic whites (8%).

But that 17% is just an average for Hispanic/Latino American groups. The chance of having type 2 diabetes is closely tied to background. For example, if your heritage is Puerto Rican, you’re about twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes as someone whose background is South American.

Diabetes Affects Hispanics/Latinos More

Over their lifetime, US adults overall have a 40% chance of developing type 2 diabetes. But if you’re a Hispanic/Latino American adult, your chance is more than 50%, and you’re likely to develop it at a younger age. Diabetes complications also hit harder: Hispanics/Latinos have higher rates of kidney failure caused by diabetes as well as diabetes-related vision loss [PDF – 327 KB] and blindness.