TESTIMONY
Testimony: Chris Norwood, Executive Director of Health People, on Diabetes and Alzheimer's Disparities Among Women
1:17:49
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3 min
Chris Norwood, Executive Director of Health People, reveals disparities in diabetes and Alzheimer's contributing to poor health in women, particularly affecting Black women. He critiques government oversight and highlights the rising death toll from these diseases, pointing out their preventability and the significant link between diabetes control and reduced Alzheimer's risk. Norwood calls out the city's neglect in tackling these disparities and urges a shift in priorities to prevent excessive disability and death.
Speaker 11
1:17:49
I am Chris Norwood, executive director of health people.
1:17:51
I will be focusing on 2 related disparities, which are driving such poor health for women, especially black women.
1:17:58
And we are in an unprecedented situation where government at every level, and this tragically includes the New York be canceled.
1:18:05
Are letting women massively suffer a disability in death, which is often preventable.
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These disparities are diabetes and Alzheimer's.
1:18:13
I think healthy NYC in the accompanying legislation are important steps, but it is also telling that healthy NYC does not mention the best growing cause of death for women, which is Alzheimer's disease.
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Leaving from the 21st cause of death in 2000, it is now specifically the 6 leading cause of death for women.
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At the same time, diabetes rose from the 8 leading cause of premature death overall.
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To now being the 4th leading cause of premature death for women.
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But I caution against using premature death rates as a sole primary measure of what people do doing.
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Nothing has the overall devastation of diabetes, which has struck 1,000,000 New Yorkers.
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It fuels other diseases that deeply concern you across the board, including heart disease, high blood pressure, several types of cancer, poor birth outcomes, and it is a major, major trigger of Alzheimer's.
1:19:12
Two thirds of those with Alzheimer's are women.
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We do know, however, that Alzheimer's is significantly preventable and a major root for venture is controlling diabetes.
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People diagnosed with diabetes before age sixty have an 80% increase in Alzheimer's risk.
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But even so helping them reduce blood sugar levels from poor control to moderate control slashes Alzheimer's risk by 30% and bringing blood sugar to good control slashes Alzheimer's risk by 60%.
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This has never been incorporated into our priorities in the city at all.
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Black women experienced 2 foldable Alzheimer's rate of white women.
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And this means that in New York State, the same populations and the same communities that were ravaged by COVID 19 are now being ravaged by Alzheimer
Speaker 1
1:20:05
If you could finish your remarks.
Speaker 11
1:20:06
I will.
1:20:07
In one minute.
1:20:08
I promise.
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We have begged and begged the city council and health department to support community to diabetes, self management education.
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I was happy today for the first time we did hear some beginnings of focus on that for the first time with 1,000,000 people affected.
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So we have a health department that has secured racism, a public health crisis.
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We have a city council that is majority women.
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But we have a hideous legacy which we must focus on.
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There is no other term except hideous of neglect of the 2 most predominant disparities that most injure women and black women.
Speaker 1
1:20:47
Thank you.
1:20:48
Thank you so much.
1:20:50
You may begin.
Speaker 12
1:20:51
Happy.
1:20:52
It was of everybody.