One in 10 Hispanics in the United States has type 2 diabetes. And one in three of those with diabetes doesn't know he or she has the disease, according to report released Friday by the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.
The report, released on World Diabetes Day, also said Hispanics are nearly two times as likely as whites to develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime.
"It is unacceptable that in today's health system we have the tools to help people prevent and treat diabetes yet complications like blindness and lower extremity amputations still occur," Jane L. Delgado, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, said in a news release.
"The Hispanic population is aging and without a renewed national commitment to prevention and treatment, the number of diabetes cases can be expected to increase," she added.
The group called for implementation of concerted long-term efforts to support the management and prevention of diabetes. It's also introducing new resources, including referrals to local health providers for diabetes screening and treatment, and a new Spanish and English brochure about diabetes.