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Check out the IAWH November education and awareness of two conditions that can significantly affect women, particularly women of color: diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Your interest and involvement in activities to help share information on preventing, treating, and managing these conditions can be impactful—for yourself and those you care about. Later this week, we’ll share the IAWH November Encouragement Challenge. Keep an eye out for more information.
Women and Diabetes and the LGBTQ Community
Women with diabetes have a higher risk of complications like heart disease; it can impact sexual and reproductive health, vision loss, kidney disease, and depression; and African American, Hispanic/Latina, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Asian/Pacific Islander women are more likely to have diabetes than White women.
Being overweight or obese can put you at risk for type 2 diabetes. Nearly 90% of US adults with diabetes are overweight or obese. Some research shows that lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be overweight or obese. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) people have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and 10% of the general population has diabetes, but 25% of gay or bisexual men and 14% of lesbian or bisexual women have it.
Overweight and obesity have been linked to long-term stress. The increased levels of stress the LGBTQ community faces may have adverse health effects. Some research also shows that LGBTQ people may also have less healthy sleep patterns. Inconsistent sleep is another risk factor contributing to weight gain, long-term stress, and type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes happens when your blood sugar (glucose) is too high. Blood sugar is the body's primary source of energy. Insulin, a hormone the pancreas makes, helps move glucose into your cells for energy. In type 2 diabetes, your body either doesn’t produce enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly. This leads to too much glucose remaining in your blood and insufficient reaching your cells. Over time, high blood sugar can cause serious health issues, such as heart disease, nerve damage, eye problems, and kidney disease. Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes at any age, but it is most common in middle-aged and older people.
Friends, while we can't control outside stressors, lifestyle changes can help us lose weight (if recommended), manage stress, and improve sleep. Small changes can have significant results over time. Let’s talk with our health provider to determine a healthy weight and the best way to get there.
For more in-depth educational materials about diabetes
Women and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Were you aware that there is a National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month? This initiative goes hand in hand with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s (NHLBI) campaign, “COPD Learn More Breathe Better,” which aims to raise awareness and educate the public about COPD. In the article, “The Surprising Facts About Women and COPD: How Discrimination and Other Disparities Affect Lung Care for Women With COPD,” pulmonologist Jamie Garfield, MD says,
“As a pulmonologist, I see a lot of women with various types of lung disease. Many lung diseases are more common in women — particularly in women of color and people who identify as women within the LGBTQ community. They have especially high rates of chronic lung disease.
We don’t know all the reasons why these disparities in lung disease exist, but it is an area of continuing research. We do know that many factors — such as indoor and outdoor air pollution, access to health care, genetics, hormones, stress, and diet — can affect the development of lung disease. Misinformation, lack of education, and structural racism and gender bias also play an important role.”
What is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
COPD is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that prevents the lungs from getting enough air, making breathing very hard. Two of the most common types of COPD are chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It's most often caused by smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products or long-term exposure to lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemicals, or dust.
When a person has COPD, less air can flow into and out of the lungs because of one or more of the following:
The walls of the airways in the lungs, known as bronchial tubes, become inflamed and thickened (known as chronic bronchitis).
The walls between many of the tiny air sacs in the lungs are destroyed (known as emphysema).
The air sacs and the airways in the lungs are less elastic.
The airways in the lungs produce more mucus than usual, which can cause them to become clogged.
Learn more about COPD
Stay tuned this week for more information on diabetes and COPD education and IAWH’s encouragement-challenge.
Janine E. Payne, MPH
Co-Director, IAWH
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