An ongoing federally funded study of the health of Hispanics in the United States is yielding nuanced and complex data, with one clear finding: There is no single “Hispanic” profile.
Metabolic syndrome overall among the Hispanic groups is 35%, compared with just 22.5% in the US population as a whole. And the prevalence of diabetes is 16.9% among Hispanics, compared with 11.3% for all US adults. But this prevalence varies, from just 10.2% among those of South American origin to 18.3% for those with Mexican backgrounds.
And curiously, while Mexicans have the highest rates of diabetes among the Hispanic groups, they join South Americans at the bottom of the list for hypertension (around 20% for both), while those of Caribbean origin (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic) have the highest hypertension rates (around 30% for both).
“One of the main messages is that Hispanics are not a monolith. It has been assumed for a long time that Hispanics are one unique group, that we all behave the same, eat the same, dance the same…and that is not the case. Although there are cultural, historical, and religious similarities, we also have differences,” Dr. Larissa Avilés-Santa said.
Read the full, original story: Diabetes High Among Latinos, but No Single ‘Hispanic’ Profile
