Genes associated with African ancestry may contribute to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and stroke in Black Americans, while genes linked to European ancestry could increase the likelihood of Parkinson’s disease, according to a recent study. The research, published in Nature Neuroscience, examined the postmortem brains of 151 individuals who identified as Black or African American. The study, a collaboration between the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Duke University, Morgan State University, and community leaders, aimed to address the underrepresentation of Black Americans in genomic studies of neurological disorders. Dr. Kafui Dzirasa, an advisor to the study and professor…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new report from the American Association for Cancer Research reveals that while some progress has been made in reducing cancer disparities in the United States, significant differences in cancer incidence and mortality continue to affect various population groups. The AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024 highlights ongoing challenges faced by racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, and geographic minorities in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Dr. Robert A. Winn, chair of the report’s steering committee and director of the VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, acknowledged the improvements but emphasized the need for further action. “Though the US has moved the needle and…
Children born to women who experienced higher levels of racial discrimination and bias throughout their lives had a younger biological age than their calendar age, researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and Anschutz Medical Campus found. “Biological age” is a measure of cell and tissue health.While additional research is required to understand the long-term implications of slower biological aging, these findings could indicate delayed or disrupted development.”It’s troubling that negative social experiences can get under the skin,” said researcher Zachery Laubach of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at CU Boulder. “These children don’t have control over what…
A recent Pew Research Center survey has uncovered a profound sense of mistrust among Black adults regarding the U.S. health care system and medical research. The survey, which polled over 4,700 Black adults in September, found that nearly six in ten respondents (58%) believe the health care system was designed to hinder their progress, while 55% expressed the belief that medical researchers today experiment on Black people without their knowledge or consent. The survey results highlight the significant role that mistrust plays in perpetuating racial health disparities in the United States. Historical instances of medical experimentation on Black patients, such as…
Social determinants of health, such as food insecurity, low household income, and lack of private health insurance, are associated with higher rates of prediabetes in adolescents, independent of race and ethnicity, according to a new study by University of Pittsburgh and UPMC researchers. The findings suggest that screening for these modifiable social factors could help identify youth at risk and improve early interventions to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes. “This study underscores the importance of using social factors, which are modifiable — meaning that we can address them — to understand and reduce diabetes risk in adolescents as opposed to…
Socioeconomic vulnerability is the strongest predictor of disparities in cardiac arrest mortality across the United States, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. The research found significant racial differences in cardiac arrest death rates, with Black individuals experiencing a much higher age-adjusted mortality rate compared to White individuals (150.4 vs 92.3 per 100,000). Men also had higher rates than women (119.6 vs 89.9). Using the Social Vulnerability Index, which incorporates 15 social factors, researchers analyzed cardiac arrest deaths from 2016-2020. Counties with the highest social vulnerability had more than double the cardiac arrest…
Underrepresentation of racial minorities in clinical trials is a key factor contributing to cancer disparities, according to Fox Chase Cancer Center epidemiologist Camille Ragin. Despite overall improvements in cancer survival rates, raial minorities continue to bear a disproportionate burden of cancer, as reported by the American Association for Cancer Research. Ragin, associate director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Fox Chase, emphasizes that clinical trials, which are crucial for developing effective cancer treatments, predominantly enroll white patients. This limits researchers’ understanding of how new therapies may affect diverse populations. “One person’s cancer is not the same as another’s,” Ragin explains. She highlights…
A recent analysis has found that social determinants of health (SDH), including poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to healthcare, significantly increase an individual’s risk of cancer mortality over time, with Black Americans experiencing greater cancer mortality compared to White Americans. According to the article, Black adults in the U.S. have double the poverty and unemployment rates as White adults, both of which independently raise the risk of cancer mortality. Limited access to healthcare also leads to later stage cancer diagnoses, further contributing to survival disparities. The REGARDS study revealed that a greater number of SDH in the same individual…
Social determinants of health such as food insecurity, low household income and a lack of health insurance has been linked to youth-onset of prediabetes—higher-than-normal blood sugar—in adolescents, independent of race and ethnicity according to a new study published today in JAMA Open Network. The research, by investigators at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), suggests that these findings can help identify youth at risk and could eventually lead to early medical intervention to help prevent the conditions from progressing to type 2 diabetes. See “Youth-Onset of Prediabetes Linked with Social Determinants of Health” (June 11, 2024)
Focusing on skin, hair, nail conditions more common in diverse communities