Curtis Hill had a heart attack seven years ago. In some ways, he is thankful, because tests performed during his hospital stay revealed that he was diabetic.

"I didn't really have any overt symptoms," Hill says.

Now Hill, 55, tries to say away from starches and eat more vegetables, but he knows that he could do more to live a healthier lifestyle.

"I don't do as much as I should, especially in the winter," he says. "But I go for walks and do stretches -- mostly cardio stuff."

Hill is a part of a growing population of diabetics in this country. Black people are 1.8 times as likely to develop diabetes as whites. Diabetics are more likely to experience greater disability from complications such as amputations, blindness, kidney failure and increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

According to the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, an estimated 23.6 million people have diabetes. And 5.7 million of those have not been diagnosed.

Hill, who lives in one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the country, understands that he faces additional challenges with his diagnoses.

Cost Of Diabetes

He is black. He is also unemployed during one of the toughest economic times, some say, since the Depression.

Hill, a former salesman, found assistance through a non-profit organization called Care Alliance that provides health and educational services.

Because of his employment status, he is eligible for free health care services.

"They are open and kind," he says about the Care Alliance staff. "They bend over backward to make sure I have the medication. They suggest new medications and tell me about the side effects."

Resources To Help Diabetics

Matt Sebastian, an educator with the Diabetes of Association of Greater Cleveland, said informing the communities most affected by diabetes often has it challenges.

People at a greater risk for diabetes include people who are over 45, overweight, have family history and those who do not exercise.

Sebastian says while his message includes about symptoms and at-risk factors, he also informs citizens that there are agencies and resources to help.

DAGC provides grocery store tours, free glucose meters and strips, guest speakers, cooking sessions and group meetings of DAGC Divas -- women diagnosed with the disease.

"It's peer pressure in a positive way," he says about DAGC Divas. "In this group, everyone has diabetes. They can help each other. It's peer-to-peer motivation."

Sebastian says that on his grocery store tours, he teaches pre-diabetics, diabetics and at-risk diabetics how to shop.

"Some inner city stores don't make it easy," he said. "They have pop three for $3. That's a lot of liquid for a little money."

Additionally, he says he encourages people to buy fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned vegetables and to pay a little more for whole-grain pasta.

Change In Families

Small changes, he says, can impact a whole family because of family gatherings and cookouts.

The disease is more prevalent among blacks, but Sebastian says some ways in which the disease is discussed is a true disservice.

"(People say they have) 'a touch of sugar' or 'borderline diabetic,' you never hear that with cancer," he says. "You never hear about someone having borderline cancer."

To deal with this, his organization locally sponsors the African-American Family Reunion to dispel myths.

The event provides assessments and education in a family-reunion type environment in which entertainment and education are mixed.

Sebastian says that fans that include the symptoms of diabetes are given out to help with self-assessments.

He says that those affected by diabetes often only take pills and are not willing to make the necessary life changes to improve the condition.

"It's important to shed light … that this is a disease that can be managed," he says, nothing that if it's not taken seriously it can do great harm.