Black Americans face significant health disparities exacerbated by poor sleep, with Black women particularly affected in terms of cardiovascular health. Research led by a team at the University of Texas at Arlington, including scientist Liao, highlights the stark differences in health outcomes. The study reveals that regardless of the health metric considered—be it incidence, prevalence, or mortality—Black women experience a pronounced disparity in cardiovascular disease. The investigation into sleep patterns and their impact on health among Black women is part of a broader examination of factors contributing to cardiovascular disease. The findings underscore the importance of addressing sleep quality as…
Author: Disparity Matters
Black Medicaid recipients are significantly more likely to be hospitalized for preventable health issues than their white counterparts, reveals a recent analysis by the Urban Institute. The report, based on 2019 data from 21 states, identifies heart failure, diabetes, and asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as the top three preventable issues leading to hospitalization among Black individuals. Katherine Hempstead, senior policy adviser at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, highlighted the concerning data for heart failure, indicating a lack of access to high-quality primary care, particularly for Black and/or disabled enrollees. The report underscores the persistent health disparities in America. See…
Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, has launched the Stand for H.E.R. – A Health Equity Revolution Breast Cancer Impact Report. This transformative report not only exposes the stark breast cancer health disparities faced by Black women in the United States, but also details Komen’s concerted efforts to help dismantle these barriers and foster community relationships to create systemic change. “Black women continue to face significant barriers to breast cancer care, regardless of what age they are, if they’re insured or where they live,” said Paula Schneider, president and CEO of Susan G. Komen. “As highlighted in…
New birth data from 2022 shows that racial and geographic inequities in maternal and infant health outcomes in the United States remain stubbornly high, despite increased focus on addressing these disparities. The National Center for Health Statistics report reveals that Black mothers and infants continue to face significantly higher mortality rates compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Maternal and infant mortality rates for Black individuals are approximately 2.5 times higher than those for non-Hispanic Whites. Black mothers were also 18 percent more likely to undergo cesarean sections in 2022. These disparities persist across various key health outcomes, including low birthweight and…
A new study from Tulane University has found that socioeconomic conditions, rather than genetics or lifestyle choices, fully account for the racial gap in life expectancy in the United States. Researchers identified eight key social determinants of health that drive premature mortality rates, including employment, family income, food insecurity, education, healthcare access, health insurance, housing instability, and relationship status. The study revealed that Black adults were more likely to experience unfavorable levels of these socioeconomic factors compared to White adults, putting them at higher risk of dying younger. However, when researchers adjusted the data for these social determinants, the difference in…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved AvertD, the first genetic test designed to identify individuals at elevated risk for developing opioid use disorder (OUD), a condition that has significantly impacted over 3 million Americans and their families. Developed by AutoGenomics, Inc., AvertD aims to be used before patients are exposed to opioid medications, such as in pre-surgical settings for adults aged 18 and older. This approval marks a step forward in efforts to combat the opioid crisis by potentially preventing new cases of OUD.However, the introduction of AvertD has sparked a debate among health professionals and geneticists…
Research published in the Jan. 25 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reveals significant health disparities in cardiometabolic diseases among disaggregated racial and ethnic subgroups in the United States. The study, led by Alain K. Koyama, Sc.D. from the CDC in Atlanta, analyzed data from 3,970,904 respondents to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System collected between 2013 and 2021. The findings highlight pronounced differences in the prevalence of diagnosed conditions such as diabetes, myocardial infarction, angina, coronary heart disease, and stroke across various racial and ethnic groups. According to the researchers, there was…
A new study reveals that racial disparities continue to impact treatment for multiple myeloma patients, with African Americans less likely to receive timely care than white patients. Researchers analyzed Medicare data for over 14,000 patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma between 2007 and 2017. They found that 59.5% of non-Hispanic African American patients received treatment within one year of diagnosis, compared to 64.8% of non-Hispanic white patients. The racial gap in treatment initiation widened over time, increasing from 2.9% in 2007 to 6.9% between 2014-2017. African American patients also experienced significantly longer delays before starting treatment. These disparities translated to worse…
Native American communities in the U.S. face the highest suicide rates, yet culturally relevant interventions remain scarce. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that non-Hispanic Indigenous people have the highest suicide rates among all racial or ethnic groups. In Montana, the suicide rate among Native American youth is over five times the statewide rate for the same age group.Despite extensive research into suicide prevention, rates among Indigenous people, particularly those aged 10 to 24, remain high. Experts attribute this to the national suicide prevention strategy’s lack of cultural relevance and sensitivity to Native American communities’ unique values.…
Racial disparities continue to affect the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), particularly among non-Hispanic African American (NHAA) patients, who are twice as likely to develop and die from the disease compared to non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients. This was the conclusion of a recent study published in Cancer Medicine, which analyzed Medicare beneficiaries with MM. The study was discussed by Dr. Raymond Thertulien of Novant Health and Dr. Joseph Mikhael, Chief Medical Officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, following the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition. They highlighted the need to address treatment barriers and improve health equity…