Sotomayor Lauded as Diabetes ‘Poster Child’

  ABC News On Campus reporter Xorje Olivares blogs: The nomination of federal judge Sonia Sotomayor for the United States Supreme Court was one of many firsts. If confirmed by the Senate, she would become the first Hispanic Associate Justice. She would also become the first diabetic. Medical experts and those who live with diabetes say that Sotomayor’s nomination to the nation’s highest court will shine a spotlight on a disease that affects Hispanics at twice the rate as whites. Within the Latino population, Puerto Rican women like Sotomayor are at an even higher risk because of a genetic predisposition. “She’s going to be a poster child for a lot of people,” said Dr. Rogelio Alamía, a physician at Sweet Vida Medical Center in Austin, Texas, which promotes self-care of diabetes and other cardiovascular diseases. “I’m quite proud that we have someone with great credentials and with a culture we have seen lacking in that area.”   Sergio Lara, 20, who was diagnosed with diabetes a day before his 18th birthday, agreed. “When I heard that a diabetic Hispanic woman was nominated for the Supreme Court, I was thrilled,” Lara said.  “The first thing that came to mind was ‘Oh, great! Diabetes awareness will grow in the States,’ and that is definitely my wish.” Sotomayor and Lara are but two of the 23 million who suffer from the disease in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association (the ADA), that’s about eight percent of the total population. “It was a horrible time in my life,” Lara said about his diagnosis. “I was completely ignorant, I did not have an idea about what to do or how to handle this condition.” Lara attended nutrition classes that taught him of what he could and could not eat because of his condition. Coming from Brownsville, Texas, a predominately Hispanic community, Lara was forced to leave out a lot of the foods he grew up eating. Although Latinos usually consume a high carbohydrate diet, Alamía says it is how it has become Americanized with processed foods that make it detrimental for health.
               
“The disservice we’ve done is correlate diabetes with sugar,” Alamía said. “It’s a metabolism problem with the fat cells becoming our enemy. Genetics, as well as environmental factors such as diet and exercise, play a huge role in diabetes, a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use the hormone insulin. Insulin is needed to convert sugars and starches from food into energy." Type 1, otherwise known as juvenile diabetes, is when the body stops making insulin altogether. This form, which accounts for only about five percent of all cases, is usually diagnosed in children and young adults. To survive, patients must inject themselves with insulin twice a day to regulate blood sugar levels. With Type 2, patients either do not produce enough insulin or their bodies become resistant to it, making the hormone ineffective.  This is the most common form, and it primarily targets those over 40. Although the disease may be managed, diabetics still face complications. Atherosclerosis, or plaque build-up in the arteries, is fairly common, as is nerve and tissue damage. Because of this, several patients must undergo amputation. Patients may also face kidney failure and blindness.
               
Diabetes is still a leading cause of death in the United States. Three of Lara'sgrandparents have already succumbed to the disease. The ADA says diabetes patients are also nearly four times more likely to die of heart disease than those who are not diabetic. Alamía estimates that about 75 percent of these patients will eventually die from cardiovascular disease. 
               
Because of the potential health risks associated with diabetes, many questioned President Obama’s nomination for a position that carries a life appointment.  Yet White House officials and doctors were quick to dispel any speculation that Sotomayor’s condition disqualified her from assuming the bench. “The burden should not be difficult as long as you are able to make changes,” Alamía said. With proper exercise and diet regulation, he said patients should remain healthy and active. “The judge's diabetes is a total non-issue,” said Jeffrey Abramson, a professor of law and government at the University of Texas at Austin. “She has already shown, in her 17 years on the federal bench, that her diabetes is irrelevant.  If anything, it might have increased her sensitivity to those with medical issues.” Lara, like many other patients, knows all too well of these issues. “My adult life is centered around my diabetes,” Lara said. “Everything and anything I do has to be carefully planned.” Medical experts say that kind of planning is what diabetics like Lara and Sotomayor must adhere to in order to continue living life as productively — and as long– as possible.