Redistributing wealth more equitably in the United States could increase population-level longevity by up to 2.2 years, according to a new study. The research highlights the significant impact of wealth inequality on survival rates and suggests that policies aimed at reducing this gap could substantially improve overall life expectancy. The study analyzed data from 35,164 US adults aged 50 and older who participated in the Health and Retirement Study between 1992 and 2018. Researchers found a stark contrast in survival rates between the wealthiest and poorest segments of the population, with those in the highest wealth decile having a…
Author: Disparity Matters
Fewer than 1 in 5 eligible Americans are up to date on lung cancer screening, with rates particularly low in Southern states and among racial minorities, according to a new nationwide study. Researchers found only 18.1% of eligible individuals reported being current with lung cancer screening in 2022. Rates varied widely by state, ranging from 9.7% to 31%, with Southern states that have high lung cancer mortality showing lower screening rates. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, revealed significant disparities in screening rates. While 78.4% of respondents were white, only 8.1% were Black and 6.7% were Hispanic, suggesting underrepresentation…
Racial weathering, a term coined by public health researcher Arline T. Geronimus, is taking a toll on generations of Black Americans, contributing to higher rates of chronic diseases and premature death. The concept describes how repeated exposure to racism and other stressors leads to poor health outcomes. Bonnie Steele’s story illustrates the impact of racial weathering. After years of living in a high-stress environment in Minneapolis, where gun violence was commonplace, Steele discovered her blood pressure had skyrocketed to dangerous levels. “Stressful doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Steele said about her experiences. The roots of racial weathering trace back to America’s…
he prevalence of up-to-date lung cancer screening with low-dose CT (LDCT) remains low — especially in U.S. states that tend to have higher mortality rates of the disease, American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers have reported. A team led by Priti Bandi, PhD, of the ACS in Atlanta, GA, found that overall, in 2022 only 18.1% of men and women eligible for lung cancer screening underwent it, despite a 2021 expansion of the pool of eligible individuals. It also found that lung cancer screening uptake varied across states, with a range of 9.7% to 31%. The study results were published June…
A significant association between exposure to high temperatures and air pollution and increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight, with communities of color disproportionately affected, a new review of 57 studies has found. The findings, co-authored by Rupa Basu of the California Environmental Protection Agency, build on her groundbreaking 2010 study that first identified the link between heat and premature births. Basu analyzed 60,000 summertime births in California from 1999 to 2006 and discovered higher preterm birth rates during periods of elevated temperatures. Scientists have now observed this association in every developed nation studied, as well as the…
Hispanics are less likely to be diagnosed with the four most common types of cancer (lung, colon, breast and prostate), but they are more prone to contracting liver, stomach and cervical cancer. These have in common that they are related to infections, such as the human papillomavirus,” says Dr. Lynne Padgett, from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Many Latina women who need cancer treatment lack health insurance. Among people ages 18 to 64, 26% of Hispanics were uninsured during 2017-2018 compared to 9% of non-Hispanic whites, according to the American Cancer Society. Regarding the genetic factor, if Latinos…
Adverse social determinants of health are strongly linked to treatment-resistant hypertension in Black Americans, according to a new study from the Jackson Heart Study. The research, which analyzed data from 2,198 Black adults with hypertension, found that individuals exposed to multiple adverse social conditions were significantly more likely to develop treatment-resistant hypertension. Participants facing three or more adverse social determinants had a 2.7-fold higher risk compared to those with no exposure. Key social factors identified include low education levels, low income, poor neighborhood quality, and experiences of discrimination. These findings highlight the persistent racial disparities in hypertension outcomes, with Black Americans disproportionately…
A record number of 653,104 people experienced homelessness in the U.S. in 2023, a 12 percent increase over 2022. 111,620 children were without homes in America last year. Every ethnic group endured an increase in homelessness last year. However, the Asian community experienced the most significant percentage increase (64 percent), while Hispanics/Latinos saw the most significant surge in raw numbers (an additional 39,106 people). Homelessness increased in 41 states between 2022 and 2023, with New Hampshire, New Mexico, and New York having the highest percentage increases.New York, Vermont, and Oregon had the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in 2023. More…
A new study has found that Black Americans, who have disproportionately high rates of obesity, were significantly underrepresented in clinical trials for the popular weight loss drug Ozempic. The research, led by Dr. Kimberly Johnson at the University of Minnesota, analyzed participant data from 10 major Ozempic trials. Despite making up 13.6% of the U.S. population and having obesity rates nearing 50%, Black individuals comprised only 6.2% of trial participants on average. In contrast, white participants were overrepresented, making up 78.4% of trial subjects but only 59.3% of the population. “This lack of diversity in clinical trials means we don’t…
A study by the American Heart Association has revealed that by 2050 cardiovascular disease (CVD) could affect at least 6 in 10 adults in the United States. The projections are even more staggering for Latinos as the study found that they hold the biggest rise in the total number of people with the disease. Latino children are also projected to have the highest obesity rates, along with the greatest projected growth in obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. As Dr. Karen E. Joynt Maddox, chair of the writing committee, put it: “we found larger increases in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and…