A significant lack of diversity in genetic studies, with 78% of data coming from people of European descent, was found in a recent analysis published in the journal Cell. Despite efforts to address this issue, progress has been slow, according to the study led by Sarah Tishkoff, a geneticist at the University of Pennsylvania. The underrepresentation of non-European populations in genetic research has far-reaching implications for understanding disease risk and developing targeted treatments. Eimear Kenny, a geneticist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, emphasized the importance of diversity in genetic studies, stating that the lack thereof can…
Author: Disparity Matters
Significant racial disparities in access to mental health services in the United States has been found in a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The research, based on a nationally representative survey, revealed that Black and Hispanic adults with fair or poor mental health are less likely to receive treatment compared to their White counterparts. According to the study, 54% of White adults who reported fair or poor mental health received mental health services, while only 37% of Black adults and 35% of Hispanic adults in the same category received care. The disparities persisted even when controlling for health…
Pharmacogenomics testing could help reduce racial disparities in treatment outcomes for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a new study suggests. The research, led by Dr. Jacqueline Valdez from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, found that Black and Hispanic children with AML are more likely to have genetic variations that affect how they metabolize and respond to chemotherapy drugs. The study analyzed data from 234 pediatric AML patients, including 58 Black and 62 Hispanic children. Results showed that Black and Hispanic patients had a higher prevalence of certain gene variants associated with poor drug metabolism and increased toxicity risk.…
An implicit bias among medical professionals is a significant barrier to Black participation in clinical trials, according to a new study by Dr. Altovise Ewing of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. The research, published in the American Journal of Public Health, highlights the underrepresentation of Black individuals in these critical studies. Dr. Ewing and her team conducted interviews with Black patients, community members, and healthcare providers. They discovered that unconscious biases held by medical staff often led to Black patients feeling unwelcome, disrespected, and distrustful of the clinical trial process. This lack of trust, coupled with a history…
The lack of trust among Black male patients towards their physicians has been highlighted in a recent study by Aaron Henry (above), a fourth-year medical student at Howard University College of Medicine. The study, which involved a survey of 900 Black men, revealed that only 43% of respondents trusted their doctors. Henry attributes this distrust to a long history of racism and discrimination in the medical field, citing examples such as the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study. He emphasizes the need for increased representation of Black men in the medical profession to help bridge the trust gap. The study also found…
The impending end of the COVID-19 public health emergency and subsequent Medicaid disenrollment process threatens to exacerbate existing health disparities and access to care issues faced by Native American communities, according to a recent analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). Native Americans, who already face significant barriers to healthcare due to chronic underfunding of the Indian Health Service (IHS) and underrepresentation in Medicaid, could see their tenuous access to care further eroded as states begin unwinding pandemic-era Medicaid expansions. Jennifer Sullivan, Director of Health and Housing Integration at CBPP, warns that the Medicaid unwinding process may…
Tesa Anewishki leads a West Side safety-net hospital where she combats diabetes, food insecurity and access issues for Black and Brown patients
Investing $210+ million in scientific research on health inequities and expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups in science and medicine
Black women with Lyme disease face significant disparities in diagnosis and treatment compared to their white counterparts, according to research highlighted in “Disparities in Lyme Disease Diagnosis, Outcomes Affect Black Patients” published on RheumatologyAdvisor.com. [1]The article cites a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University that found Black patients, particularly women, were more likely to experience delays in Lyme disease diagnosis and receive inadequate antibiotic treatment. Dr. Yvette Brutsch, an artist and activist featured in the piece, recounted her struggle with debilitating symptoms that went undiagnosed for years due to dismissals from medical professionals.Another study from the University of Pennsylvania…
A federal task force has recommended a new national strategy to address the mental health needs of pregnant and postpartum women in the United States. The plan aims to reduce maternal deaths by improving access to mental health care, particularly in underserved areas. Perinatal depression affects up to 20% of women in the U.S., with some states reporting rates as high as 25%. However, many women go untreated due to the lack of a widely deployed screening system, leading to higher rates of mental illness, suicide, and drug overdoses, which are now the leading causes of death in the first…