The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the USA has labelled diabetes 'the epidemic of our time'. Indeed, diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death by disease in the USA, with 75% of diabetes-related deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease. According to the US Office of Minority Health, the prevalence of diabetes among African-Americans is about 70% higher than in Caucasians, and the prevalence in Hispanics is nearly double that of Caucasians. Currently it is estimated that 2.3 million African-Americans and 1.2 million Hispanics have Type 2 diabetes in the USA alone.