Hispanics with type 2 diabetes have twice more likely to feel isolated because of their illness and depend on their families to handle this condition.
According to a survey, one in three Hispanics feels isolated , half have difficulty adjusting to their new life with diabetes and three of four say that their families are the engine that drives them to make changes intheir lives.
Dr. Ilan Shapiro, a doctor of Mexican origin who was part of the White House Hispanic health initiative and currently works in a community clinic in Florida, explained that this survey puts in perspective the feelings of Hispanics and how it affects themedical treatment.
“People should know that having diabetes is not a death sentence.One in three Latinos thought it was practically a death sentence, ”said Dr. Shapiro.
This expert is part of a Spanish and multicultural initiative launched by the pharmaceutical Janssen, an invokana manufacturer, a drug for type 2 diabetes, which addresses feelings of isolation by offering cooking recipes from different parts of Latin America.
“We make food for the whole family.Food for us is a meeting center.We can continue enjoying this family meal by making changes in the preparation that helps all family members, ”added Shapiro. Type 2 diabetes affects Hispanics more than any other ethnic group in the United States.
12% of the 54 million Latinos have been diagnosed with diabetes.In total, one in four people with this type of diabetes is Latin.But not all Latinos are the same.Hispanics have very marked cultural differences and eat differently.
Dr. Shapiro said that among the resources available in Spanish there are cooking recipes for Central Americans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians and other South Americans.
In addition, there are resources available for health professionals who are not Latin and that perhaps do not understand cultural differences among Hispanics.Non -Hispanic doctors can access information that include profiles of patients who show key differences between Hispanics with type 2 diabetes with a variety of cultural origins and advanced help to make decisions, in order to help doctors customize the approachesof treatment based on the individual preferences of patients.
"With this initiative, we hope to inspire a healthier life among Hispanic patients with type 2 diabetes and provide reliable guidance, resources and support that help this community of rapid growing to achieve better diabetes management," said Melissa Larrazabalof products of the Spanish Janssen program.
For recipes or physical activities programs dress www.invokana.com/es
