Hispanics in Missouri are getting diabetes at an alarming rate. So high, in fact, the State Health Department has labeled it as an epidemic. The Department’s Diabetes Control Program Manager Jo Anderson says the rate of diabetes in Hispanics more than 55-years-old is nearly 30 percent. Anderson says Hispanics are already at a higher risk of getting diabetes. She believes the American culture of poor diet and a lack of exercise contribute to the number of cases. Anderson says people who get diabetes are at a higher risk of heart disease or stroke, plus the disease can lead to blindness, kidney failure, or even amputation of limbs.
