One in ten people have diabetes in Arizona, study finds

Information gathered by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) reveals that nearly 700,000 people in Arizona have diabetes, but many struggle with ways to treat it.

“Every 21 seconds, one person is diagnosed with diabetes,” Dr. Ana C. Guzman, board member for the ADA, told Horizonte. And with diabetes rates on the rise, education on treatment and prevention become more pertinent by the second.

Transcript:

JOSE CARDENAS: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO HORIZONTE. WE'LL TALK ABOUT DIABETES AND THE PUSH TO BRING ATTENTION TO THIS HEALTH CONDITION AND ITS IMPACT ON MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AN EVENT BRINGING THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TOGETHER TO GROW AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR CATHOLIC FAITH.

ALEXIS ZAZUETA (VIDEO): “I DIDN'T KNOW EVEN MUCH ABOUT BEING AN ILLEGAL IMIGRANT. I SAW MYSELF THE SAME AS ALL MY CLASSMATES.”

JOSE CARDENAS: AND, THE REPEAL OF DACA HAS A VALLEY BOXER IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGHTS OF HIS LIFE. ALL THIS COMING UP STRAIGHT AHEAD ON HORIZONTE.

"HORIZONTE" IS MADE POSSIBLE BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FRIENDS OF AZ PBS, MEMBERS OF YOUR PBS STATION. THANK YOU.”

JOSE CARDENAS: NOVEMBER IS AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH. ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL DIABETES FOUNDATION, ABOUT 400 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE DIABETES. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE NUMBER WILL REACH 640 MILLION BY 2040. JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT EFFORTS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THIS HEALTH CONDITION IS DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN, ASSOCIATE MANAGER OF COMMUNITY HEALTH STRATEGIES FOR THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION. AND, DOCTOR ANA GUZMAN, BOARD MEMBER WITH THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION. THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US ON "HORIZONTE." DR. GUZMAN, WE HAD THE FIGURES IN THE INTRODUCTION ABOUT HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM THIS IS NATIONALLY AND WORLD-WIDE. PUT IT IN MORE OF A LOCAL PERSPECTIVE AND GIVE US A SENSE OF HOW BIG OF A PROBLEM THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE.

ANA GUZMAN: HERE IN ARIZONA WE HAVE 700,000 PEOPLE WITH DIABETES. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SEE IT IN THAT WAY. PUTTING THE CITY OF CHANDLER AND CITY OF GILBERT TOGETHER. IT IS ABOUT ALL THAT POPULATION, IMAGINE ALL THAT PEOPLE WITH DIABETES.

JOSE CARDENAS: SO IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM.

ANA GUZMAN: YES, AND UNITED STATES POPULATION IN THIS LEVEL IS EVERY 21 SECONDS ONE PERSON IS DIAGNOSED WITH DIABETES.



JOSE CARDENAS: DANIELLE, IT IS A HUGE PROBLEM. ARE THINGS GETTING ANY BETTER? I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING FOR NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH BUT IN SO MANY OTHER AREAS WE ARE REPORTING DECLINES IN RATES OF INCIDENTS IN SO ON AND SO FOTH. WHAT IS THE SITUATION WITH DIABETES? GETTING BETTER OR WORSE?

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: ACTUALLY, THE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING. THE DIABETES RATES ARE GOING UP. THERE IS A LOT OF SUPPORT. THERE IS RESEARCH BEING DONE ON WHY YOU KNOW DIABETES AFFECTS MINORITY GROUPS. BUT THE NUMBERS ARE RISING.

JOSE CARDENAS: AND WHAT IS IT? IT IS OUR DIET?

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: THERE IS A LOT OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO IT. OBVIOUSLY HEALTH IS NOT JUST THE PRESENCE OF DISEASE BUT THERE IS SO MANY OTHER FACTORS THAT GO INTO HEALTH PARTICULARLY WITH DIABETES THINGS LIKE HEALTHCARE ACCESS, YOU KNOW, FOOD INSECURITY, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CONTRIBUTE A LOT TO DIABETES RATES GOING UP.

JOSE CARDENAS: I WANT TO COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC ISSUES IN THAT REGARD. BUT FIRST, CAN YOU GIVE US A THUMBNAIL SKETCH OF WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH?

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: FOR THE AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION, WE ARE HAVING A BIG PUSH FOR NOVEMBER, WHICH IS AMERICAN DIABETES MONTH, FOR PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF HOW DIABETES AFFECTS ALL OF US. NOT JUST THE PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES BUT THE CAREGIVER, THE FRIEND, THE FAMILY MEMBER. WE ARE ALL IN SOME WAY AFFECTED BY DIABETES. SO WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR STORY. SHARE HOW DIABETES AFFECTS THEM. WHAT WOULD ONE SAY TO DIABETES IF DIABETES WAS A PERSON. YOU KNOW? WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO SHARE THEIR MESSAGE VIA VIDEO, WRITING.

JOSE CARDENAS: YOU ARE TALKING LITERALLY ADDRESSING A MESSAGE.

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: IF YOU WANT TO JUST SHARE YOUR ANGER YOU CAN DO THAT AND YOU CAN SHARE THE MESSAGE ON SOCIAL MEDIA USING THE #DEARDIABETES. IT IS JUST MAKING EVERYONE AWARE THAT DIABETES IS SO PERVASIVE EVEN IF WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE.

JOSE CARDENAS: AND DR. GUZMAN, MAKING EVERYBODY AWARE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIFFICULT SITUATION WITH THE HISPANIC POPULATION. FIRST OF ALL, THE INCIDENT OF DIABETES IS HIGHER AMONGST LATINOS. IS THAT CORRECT?

ANA GUZMAN: THAT IS CORRECT.

JOSE CARDENAS: AND THEN THE QUESTION IS GETTING PEOPLE TO GET TREATMENT OR BEING AWARE OF THEIR RISKS.

ANA GUZMAN: WELL, WE HAVE ON THE WEBSITE, WE ARE INVITING THE COMMUNITY TO TAKE THE TEST TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT BECAUSE WHAT I CALL THE DIABETES -- LA TRAICIONERA-BECAUSE YOU DON'T FEEL IT. YOU DON’T FEEL THAT YOU ARE SICK UNTIL IT IS REALLY LATE. UNTIL YOU ARE SHOWING COMPLICATIONS LIKE LOSING YOUR SIGHT, LOSING YOUR TOE, LOSING YOUR KIDNEY, OR HEART ATTACK.

JOSE CARDENAS: ALL THINGS THAT ARE PREVENTABLE WITH EARLY DIAGNOSES AND TREATMENT.

ANA GUZMAN: EXACTLY. THEY CAN GO TO COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, THEY CAN GO TO SEE THE DOCTOR EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T FEEL THEY ARE SICK. BUT FOR THAT, FIRST THEY NEED TO TAKE THE RISK TEST.

JOSE CARDENAS: THE TEST WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, I TOOK IT AND I WAS TEASING YOU BEFORE WE CAME ON THE SET. I PICKED UP FOUR POINTS OUT OF FIVE JUST FOR BEING AN OLD MAN AND MALE. BUT THOSE ARE REASONS WHY PEOPLE SHOULD BE CONCERNED.

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: DEFINITELY. WE USED TO SEE TYPE II DIABETES. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS AT PEOPLE LIVING OVER THE AGE OF 65. YOU KNOW, THE OLDER POPULATION. NOW WE ARE SEEING THAT NUMBER DROP. SO WE ARE SEEING DIAGNOSIS --

ANA GUZMAN: WE HAVE SEEN KIDS NINE YEARS OLD, TWELVE YEARS OLD.

JOSE CARDENAS: YOU SAY THE NUMBERS DROP AND YOU MEAN WE’RE SEEING YOUNGER PEOPLE?

ANA GUZMAN: GETTING TYPE II DIABETES.

JOSE CARDENAS: IN TERMS OF OUTREACH TO THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY, MANY OF THESE PIECES ARE IN SPANISH.

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: AND ONLINE AT DIABETES.ORG, WE HAVE RECIPES. WE HAVE BOOKS PEOPLE CAN PRINT OR DOWNLOAD. THERE IS A LOT OF RESOURCES IN SPANISH AND IN ENGLISH.

JOSE CARDENAS: AND I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED, DR. GUZMAN, IN SOME MORE ACTIVE OUTREACH EFFORTS AS YOU WORK WITH THE PROMOTORAS. THE TRAINED PEOPLE THAT GO OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND TRY TO EDUCATE PEOPLE. TELL US ABOUT THAT.

ANA GUZMAN: WE HAVE TWO- ONE STAFORD PRORGAM AND ONE IS FROM THE CHICANO UNIVERSITY PROGRAM THAT THEY CALL DIABETES EMPOWERMENT EDUCATION PROGRAM. I TRAIN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO GO INTO THE COMMUNITY AND TEACH IN HEALTH FAIRS IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS TO TEACH THOSE PROGRAMS.

JOSE CARDENAS: WHAT KINDS OF THINGS ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT? I ASSUME A HEALTHIER DIET? AND HOW TO GET DIAGNOSED?

ANA GUZMAN: EXERCISE, TO TALK WITH THE DOCTOR, WHAT ABOUT THE SUGAR LEVELS, WHAT IS AN A1C TEST, WHAT TO EAT, HOW TO START EXERCISE, HOW TO RELAX BECAUSE EVEN THE STRESS CAN INCREASE YOUR SUGAR. SO, WE ARE TEACHING ALL THOSE CLASSES.

JOSE CARDENAS: DANIEL, DR. GUZMAN TALKED ABOUT THE VARIOUS TESTS THAT CAN BE DONE. AS I UNDERSTAND IT, ATELAST IN THE VALLEY, THERE ARE WAYS TO GET THOSE TESTS DONE FOR FREE.

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: THERE ARE SOME COMMUNITIES PARTNERS WHO WILL DO FREE TESTING BUT AS A RESOURCE IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA, SENORA QUEST LAB IS A NON-PROFIT ENTITY THAT ONE CAN ORDER LAB WORK, YOU KNOW CERTAIN TESTS WITHOUT A DOCTOR'S ORDER WHICH IS A RESOURCE FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA. IF YOU GO ONLINE, TAKE THE DIABETES RISK TEST AND YOU FIND OUT YOU ARE AT HIGH LEVEL OF RISK THEN YOU CAN ACT ON THAT. SEE YOUR DOCTOR OR YOU KNOW, FIND A DOCTOR, GO TO A HEALTH CENTER, OR EVEN APPROACH SENORA QUEST TO GET TEST DONE.

JOSE CARDENAS: AND THAT’S ANY SENORA QUEST IN THE VALLEY?

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: YES.

JOSE CARDENAS: DR. GUZMAN, LAST QUESTION. WHAT IS OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE, THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF GETTING AHOLD OF THIS DISEASE? WE TALKED ABOUT THE YOUNGER PEOPLE BEING AFFECTED. IS IT DIET?

ANA GUZMAN: PART IS DIET. THE LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. YOU KNOW? NOW THE KIDS ARE PLAYING MORE INSIDE THE HOUSE, WATCHING THE TV, THE VIDEO GAMES. THEY ARE DOING LESS EXERCISE AND EATING MORE PROCESSED FOOD, FAST FOOD, DRINKING A LOT OF POP/SODAS THAT IS AFFECTING THEIR WEIGHT AND WHEN YOU ARE GAINING WEIGHT YOU HAVE AN INCREASED RISK TO HAVE DIABETES.

JOSE CARDENAS: WELL, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON "HORIZONTE" TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE.

DANIEL RODRIGUEZ-GUZMAN: ABSOLUTELY, THANK YOU.

JOSE CARDENAS: AND YOU ARE WATCHING "HORIZONTE" ON ARIZONA PBS. COMING UP LATER IN THE SHOW, THE REPEAL OF DACA HAS A VALLEY BOXER IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGHTS OF HIS LIFE.