More bad news for Hispanic health

Story in the AP carried by the Hartford Courant today entitled, "Study: Hispanic Health Down
Immigrants Suffer Obesity, Diabetes" outlines more bad news for Hispanic health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study says the longer Hispanics are here, the more likely they are to become obese or to develop diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Worse, Hispanics born here have higher rates of those illnesses.

Complicating matters is that Hispanic immigrants are among those least likely to have health insurance.

Here are some sobering statistics from the study:
-- 22 percent of Hispanics who have been in the country more than five years are obese, compared with 16.1 percent who have been here for less than five.
-- High blood pressure climbs from 13.4 percent for newer arrivals to 19.8 percent for those here longer.
-- As they stay longer than five years, diabetes rates rise from 6.9 percent to 7.5 percent and heart disease increases from 3.5 percent to 5.4 percent.
-- Among Hispanics born in this country, 29.8 percent are obese, 24.5 percent report high blood pressure, 10.8 percent are diabetic and 7.6 percent have heart disease. Among the native-born U.S. population overall, 22.9 percent are obese, 24.3 percent have high blood pressure, 6.1 percent are diabetic and 7.6 percent have heart disease.

Thanks to Carol Pompano from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Connecticut for forwarding this along to me.