Filipino American History Month: celebrating heritage, and two health checks worth knowing
By Frank Aliganga, MD, FAAFP
October is Filipino American History Month. It's a time to celebrate a community that has been part of the American story for more than 400 years, including many families here in South Jersey and Philadelphia.
In the spirit of the month, I want to share some history and some practical health information that every Filipino American family should know.
Why October?
The Filipino American National Historical Society has observed October as Filipino American History Month since 1991. Congress recognized it with resolutions in 2009, 2010, and 2011.
The month marks October 18, 1587, when the first documented Filipinos, recorded as "Luzones Indios," came ashore at Morro Bay, California. Generations later, Filipino Americans are nurses and doctors, veterans, farmworker organizers, teachers, business owners, and neighbors. Many of us in health care have worked alongside Filipino nurses and colleagues for our whole careers.
Two health checks worth knowing about
Heritage shapes family recipes, traditions, and values. Research shows it can also shape health risks in ways that aren't always obvious. Knowing this ahead of time is good news, because both of the conditions below can be found early with simple tests and managed well.
1. Blood pressure, starting earlier than you might expect
A large 2024 study of more than 1.8 million adults in a Northern California health system, including about 128,000 Filipino adults, found that Filipino adults had higher rates of high blood pressure than South Asian, Chinese, White, and Hispanic adults in every age group studied. The gap was largest in adults under 60. In the study, about 1 in 4 Filipino adults in their 40s already had high blood pressure.
The authors concluded that checking and prevention should start in early adulthood. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so the only way to know is to check.
2. Blood sugar, even if you're not overweight
A 2017 study using California health survey data found that Filipino Americans who were not obese had more than twice the odds of diabetes compared with non-Hispanic white adults, even after accounting for other risk factors.
Part of the reason is that weight alone can be misleading. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases uses a lower body mass index (BMI) threshold for diabetes risk in Asian Americans: 23, compared with 25 for the general population. In other words, someone can look "healthy weight" on a standard chart and still be at higher risk.
What you can do
None of this is destiny. It's information that helps you and your doctor stay a step ahead.
Know your numbers. Ask for a blood pressure check at every visit, and consider a home monitor.
Ask about blood sugar testing, such as an A1c, even if your weight is in the normal range.
Share your family history. If parents, lolos and lolas, or siblings have had high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or stroke, tell your doctor.
Keep the good habits that already work for you: movement you enjoy, enough sleep, and meals shared with people you love.
How we can help
At Empowered Health Direct Primary Care, we take time to learn your family history and your life, not just your lab results. Members have direct access to me, transparent pricing on labs, and no copays or per-visit fees, ever. That makes it easier to check, follow up, and adjust early, before small numbers become big problems.
To everyone celebrating this month: maraming salamat for all you bring to our community. If you'd like to talk about your heart and metabolic health, text us at 609-678-3299 to set up a free 15-minute Meet & Greet.
Educational, not medical advice.
