Author: Disparity Matters

Black Americans with both diabetes and hypertension in midlife have higher risk of dementia

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A new study from the University of Georgia reveals that poor heart health in midlife may significantly increase the risk of dementia for Black Americans. Researchers found that individuals diagnosed with both diabetes and hypertension had elevated levels of a dementia-related biomarker more than a decade later. “This matters,” said Rachael Weaver, the study’s lead author. “Chronic conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, especially when combined together, might start damaging the brain earlier than we thought, especially for this group.” The study followed over 250 participants and found that having both conditions—not just one—led to a greater increase in…

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Mexican American cancer patients face disparities in palliative care

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New research presented at ASCO 2025 reveals troubling disparities in palliative cancer treatment among Hispanic patients in the United States, with certain national origins facing significantly reduced access to care. The study, led by Edward C. Dee, MD, and Shriya Garg, analyzed data from the National Cancer Database, focusing on patients with stage 4 breast, lung, and prostate cancer.“We wanted to see if there were disparities in Hispanic subgroups,” Garg explained, noting that previous studies often lump Hispanic patients into broad categories. Their analysis disaggregated the data by national origin, uncovering stark differences.Patients of Mexican descent showed consistent disparities in…

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Stress and discrimination may account for quarter of greater dementia risk for Black older adults

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A new study reveals that chronic stress and perceived discrimination may account for nearly a quarter of the racial disparity in dementia risk between Black and White older adults in the United States. Researchers analyzed data from over 5,600 participants in the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study and found that Black individuals had more than twice the risk of developing dementia compared to White individuals. While neither chronic stress nor discrimination directly mediated the relationship between race and dementia, both factors significantly interacted with race to elevate risk. Eliminating racial differences in either chronic stress or perceived discrimination could…

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Segregated Neighborhoods Linked to Higher Lung Cancer Risk

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A major new study has found that African American adults living in highly segregated neighborhoods face a significantly higher risk of developing lung cancer. The research, which followed over 71,000 participants across 12 southern U.S. states, revealed that reducing residential segregation could lower lung cancer incidence among African Americans—but not among non-Hispanic White individuals.The study used the isolation index to measure segregation and found that African American participants had a median index of 0.8, compared to 0.2 for White participants. Lowering this index in hypothetical scenarios led to fewer lung cancer cases. For example, reducing segregation to the least segregated…

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