Comparing Disease Burden of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 between Hmong and other Ethnic Groups

The Hmong, an ethnic group in Laos, immigrated to the United States at the end of the Vietnam War. Minnesota and California have the largest Hmong populations. Hmong were historically farmers and hunter-gatherers with inadequate food supply in Laos. Here in America, with a surplus of food and a sedentary lifestyle, the Hmong are at increased risk for diabetes, hence the Thrifty Gene Hypothesis. This retrospective study compares the prevalence and control of diabetes mellitus-type 2 between the Hmong and other ethnic and racial groups at the Health And Life Organization (HALO) clinic in Sacramento, California. A total of 9,285 charts were reviewed. The Hmong had the highest prevalence but poorest control of diabetes mellitus when compared with the Laotian, Vietnamese, Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics (chi-square p-value