GENETIC ORIGINS OF THE MAJOR HISPANIC SUBGROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

• ADMIXTURE WITH GENES OF NATIVE AMERICANS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS, POPULATIONS WITH HIGH PREVALENCE OF DIABETES, HAS BEEN SUGGESTED AS A FACTOR FOR HIGHER RATES OF DIABETES IN HISPANICS.
• NATIVE AMERICAN AND AFRICAN ANCESTRY CONTRIBUTE NO MORE THAN 20 PERCENT TO THE CURRENT CUBAN AMERICAN GENE POOL WHICH MAY EXPLAIN WHY CUBAN AMERICANS HAVE A HIGHER PREVALENCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES THAN NON-HISPANIC WHITE AMERICANS, BUT NOT AS HIGH AS MEXICAN AMERICANS OR PUERTO RICANS.
• INCREASING IMMIGRATION AMONG POPULATIONS WITH HIGH RATES OF TYPE 2 DIABETES, AND THE IMPACT OF ACCULTURATION ON DIABETIC RISKS FACTORS, UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS PREVALENCE.
• INCREASED OUTREACH EFFORTS TO PROVIDE CARE TO THE POPULATIONS LEAST LIKELY TO OBTAIN CARE SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVEMENTS IN DIABETES SURVEILLANCE AND IMPROVED PUBLIC HEALTH AND MANAGE CARE OUTCOMES.