Diabetes control is harder for Hispanics

Lack of access to health care is making it harder for Hispanics to control diabetes than non-Hispanics, according to a study released yesterday by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

The study also was reported in the February issue of Diabetes Care.

The Wake researchers reviewed 11 studies, which found that Hispanic patients with diabetes have about 0.5 percent higher levels on a test that measures blood-sugar control - the A1C test - than non-Hispanic white patients.

The test measures hemoglobin linked with glucose, or blood sugar, over two to three months. Higher A1C values indicate that patients have difficulty controlling their blood sugar.

"We were not surprised by these findings, since ethnic minorities in the United States are disproportionately affected by diabetes," said Dr.

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