Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. The body of someone diagnosed with diabetes makes too little insulin or cannot use its own insulin as well as it should, causing sugar to build up in the blood. There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational (during pregnancy). Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that renders one insulin-dependent due to the loss of pancreatic beta cell function. Type 2, the most common, is characterized by insulin resistance, and is a progressive disease. Gestational diabetes is first recognized during pregnancy and is largely due to insulin resistance caused by pregnancy hormones.

Diabetes can cause serious health issues, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. It is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.

According to the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes and heart disease. Of all African Americans aged 20 years or older, 4.9 million (18.7%) have diabetes. The following statistics reveal the disparities that AAHP works to eliminate. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans are:

Diabetes and heart disease are closely connected. Thirty-three percent of African Americans with diabetes also have heart disease. In both male and female diabetics, heart disease leading to a heart attack or stroke is the top cause of death. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to die from heart disease than people without diabetes. Diabetes and heart disease also share the same risk factors, including obesity and high blood pressure (hypertension).

Heart disease (or cardiovascular disease) includes numerous conditions that affect the heart and is typically caused by a thinning of the arteries which can result in stroke, heart failure, and heart attack. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.