According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Diabetes Report Card 2017, 154,365 people in Hawaiʻi, or 13.1% (1 out of every 9 individuals) of the adult population, have diabetes. Research at JABSOM has shown that 22.4% of Native Hawaiians are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus; another 15% have been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance or pre-diabetic status and are therefore at increased risk of developing diabetes. Also disproportionately affected are Pacific Islanders and other minority populations. People with diabetes are at greater risk of developing health complications such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, eye disease, kidney disease and amputation. Every year an estimated 8,000 people in Hawaiʻi are diagnosed with diabetes.
“Health in Hawaiʻi: Good News, But Not for Everyone” describes diabetes as a growing health threat in Hawaiʻi and explores how we can fight it. This latest report from the Hawaiʻi Business Magazine, based on a framework created by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF), focuses on health and wellness in Hawaiʻi. “The CHANGE framework acknowledges the interconnected nature of community issues and zeroes in on six essential areas that constitute the overall well-being of these islands and people,” HCF says. “By examining critical community indicators by sector, we can identify gaps where help is specifically needed and opportunities where help will do the most good.”
“Blood Sugar Rising” follows the diabetes epidemic in the U.S. Diabetes and pre-diabetes affects over 100 million people in the country, costing more than $325 billion each year. This NOVA documentary puts human faces to these statistics, exploring the history and science of the illness through portraits of Americans whose stories shape the film.
American Diabetes Association
Diabetes – Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Division