An estimated 10.2% or 2 million of all Latinos
have diabetes. They are 1.5% more likely
to have diabetes than Caucasians.

Specifically, Mexican Americans are two times
more likely to have diabetes than Caucasians of
similar age.

Likewise, residents of Puerto Rico are two times more likely to have diagnosed diabetes than Caucasians.

About 24% of Mexican Americans in the United States and 26% of Puerto Ricans between the ages of 45-74 have diabetes.

Approximately 16% of Cuban Americans in the United States between the ages of 45-74 have diabetes.

Diabetes is common among middle-aged and older Hispanic Americans. About 25% to 30% of those age 50 or older have either diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes.

The following table shows the Hispanic American populations in the United States and percentage with diabetes from 1988 to 1994:

Hispanic American population	% of total Hispanic population	% with diabetes, age 20-44	% with diabetes, age 45-74
Mexican Americans	64.3	3.8	23.9
Central/South Americans	13.4	--	--
Puerto Ricans	10.6	4.1	26.1
Cuban Americans	4.7	2.4	15.8
Other Hispanic groups	7.0	--	--

The following chart reveals the prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes in Mexican Americans in the United States from 1988 to 1994:

Gestational diabetes is when blood glucose levels measure high above normal during pregnancy.

Mexican American women have higher rates of gestational diabetes than non-Hispanic white women, especially when they are overweight.

A study suggests that each year, about 12% of Mexican American women with gestational diabetes develop type II diabetes within 20 years of the pregnancy.

Hispanic Americans have genetic, medical, and lifestyle risk factors for diabetes similar to African Americans. For more details, see the risk factors sections of African American.

Hispanic Americans have high rates of being overweight or physically inactive, which are the major risk factors for developing diabetes.

Specifically, Mexican Americans with upper body obesity have an increased risk of type II diabetes.

Among people with diabetes, Mexican Americans are 4.5 to 6.6 times more frequent to suffer from end stage renal disease.

In the San Antonio Heart Study, the prevalence of clinical evidence of kidney damage was more frequent in Mexican Americans with diabetes than in Caucasians.

Some information on this page is found on the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse website. For more information, go to Diabetes in Hispanic Americans