The Yin and Yang of Diabetes in Asian Patients
The Yin and Yang of Diabetes in Asian Patients
Hello. My name is Dr. William Hsu. I am an endocrinologist working at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. I direct the Asian clinic at the Joslin; also, I am an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
I am here in Chicago at the American Diabetes Association's annual scientific session. I presented a topic titled "Diabetes in Asian Americans," coming from a clinical approach and with clinical applications. Diabetes affects the Asian community to a very large extent. A lot of science has happened at the level of physiology and our understanding of the mechanism of the disease. However, we haven't had as many discussions on how we can apply that science to the daily care of our patients.
I would first like to give you a look at the background of diabetes in Asian Americans. Asian Americans develop higher rates of diabetes than the general population, despite their average lower body weight. The rate of diabetes has increased over the past decade or so, not only among those who have lived here for a long time but also among those who have immigrated to the United States from Asian countries. It is a serious public health problem.
For example, if you were to look at the burden of disease of diabetes in New York City, 16% (1 out of 6) of adults with an Asian background have diabetes. It raises the question of how do we, as clinicians, take care of patients who may have come from those regions of the world. I would like to discuss 3 important factors: physiology, culture, and community.
Diabetes in Asian Americans
Hello. My name is Dr. William Hsu. I am an endocrinologist working at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. I direct the Asian clinic at the Joslin; also, I am an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
I am here in Chicago at the American Diabetes Association's annual scientific session. I presented a topic titled "Diabetes in Asian Americans," coming from a clinical approach and with clinical applications. Diabetes affects the Asian community to a very large extent. A lot of science has happened at the level of physiology and our understanding of the mechanism of the disease. However, we haven't had as many discussions on how we can apply that science to the daily care of our patients.
I would first like to give you a look at the background of diabetes in Asian Americans. Asian Americans develop higher rates of diabetes than the general population, despite their average lower body weight. The rate of diabetes has increased over the past decade or so, not only among those who have lived here for a long time but also among those who have immigrated to the United States from Asian countries. It is a serious public health problem.
For example, if you were to look at the burden of disease of diabetes in New York City, 16% (1 out of 6) of adults with an Asian background have diabetes. It raises the question of how do we, as clinicians, take care of patients who may have come from those regions of the world. I would like to discuss 3 important factors: physiology, culture, and community.