Hypertension, or high blood pressure, affects almost half of all people in the U.S. and can lead to serious health issues, including heart attack, stroke and kidney problems. Monitoring your blood pressure levels regularly is a key part of managing it, and the American Heart Association (AHA), with support from Elevance Health Foundation, is working… Continue reading Equalizing Health Care
Tag: black
Racial Disparities and Childbirth
Black women of childbearing age were twice as likely to have uncontrolled high blood pressure when compared with their white peers, increasing their risk of heart-related complications during pregnancy, according to new research published in February 2023 issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal. The analysis of nearly… Continue reading Racial Disparities and Childbirth
Racial Inequity in Epilepsy Care
Among people with epilepsy, Black, Latino and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander people are less likely to be prescribed newer drugs than white people, which can be a marker of the quality of care, according to a study published in the January 11, 2023, online issue of Neurology® Clinical Practice, an official journal of… Continue reading Racial Inequity in Epilepsy Care
Race and Ethnicity in Cancer Care
Racial and ethnic minorities diagnosed with advanced liver cancer have a lower chance of receiving immunotherapy, the most effective treatment for patients with the disease, according to a new study led by Cedars-Sinai Cancer investigators. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Hepatology, found Black and Hispanic patients were significantly less likely to receive immunotherapy… Continue reading Race and Ethnicity in Cancer Care
Racial Disparities Found in Pediatric Asthma Care
Black children with asthma accessed community health centers (CHCs) less than white children, while Latino children (who prefer to speak either English or Spanish) were more likely to visit CHCs for acute, chronic, and preventive care overall, according to a new, large study. The pattern of low clinic utilization by Black children was accompanied by… Continue reading Racial Disparities Found in Pediatric Asthma Care
Racial Differences and Pregnancy Care
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will fund new research examining racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related complications and deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 700 women die each year in the United States from pregnancy-related complications. The grants to six institutions are expected to total… Continue reading Racial Differences and Pregnancy Care
Racial Inequities Uncovered in Hospital Admissions for Heart Failure
Skin color too often determines the quality of cardiovascular health care a patient receives, researchers say. People who are black or of Latin American descent with the condition of heart failure are less likely to be admitted to specialized cardiology units, a disparity that may help explain long-known racial differences in heart failure outcomes, according… Continue reading Racial Inequities Uncovered in Hospital Admissions for Heart Failure
The Income Factor in Blood Pressure Treatment
People enrolled in a large clinical hypertension management trial were half as likely to control their blood pressure if they received care at clinics and practices in low-income areas, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association. Participants in a low-income area had a 25% higher chance of dying from any cause… Continue reading The Income Factor in Blood Pressure Treatment
Organ Transplant Patients Have Increased Skin Cancer Risk
While anyone can develop skin cancer, regardless of age, race or gender, certain groups of people have a higher risk of getting the disease than others. Because organ transplant patients must take medication to suppress their immune system, they are among those with an increased risk — and the skin cancers that develop in these… Continue reading Organ Transplant Patients Have Increased Skin Cancer Risk
Long-Term Survival Worse for Black Survivors of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Blacks who survive cardiac arrest during hospitalization have lower odds of long-term survival compared with similar white survivors, according to new research in the American Heart Association’s journal Circulation. Half the difference in one-year survival rates, however, remained unexplained. Nearly one-third of the racial difference in one-year survival was dependent on measured patient factors. Only… Continue reading Long-Term Survival Worse for Black Survivors of In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Study: Hair Products for Black Women Contain Mix of Hazardous Ingredients
Black women are potentially exposed to dozens of hazardous chemicals through the hair products they use, according to a report in the journal Environmental Research . The study, by scientists at Silent Spring Institute, is the first to measure concentrations of endocrine-disrupting chemicals–substances that interfere with the body’s hormones–in a variety of hair products marketed… Continue reading Study: Hair Products for Black Women Contain Mix of Hazardous Ingredients
Peanut Allergy on The Rise Among Children
Peanut allergy in children has increased 21 percent since 2010, according to new research, and almost 2.5 percent of U.S. children may have the condition. The research was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting. “Peanut allergies, along with other food allergies, are very challenging for children and… Continue reading Peanut Allergy on The Rise Among Children
African-Americans with AFib Face Higher Risks than Whites
Black people suffering from atrial fibrillation (AFib) have nearly double the risk of their white counterparts of having stroke, heart failure, coronary heart disease and mortality from all causes, according to a study in JAMA Cardiology. The study, funded by a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation and led by Jared Magnani, M.D., associate professor… Continue reading African-Americans with AFib Face Higher Risks than Whites
Racial Bias May Be Conveyed by Doctors’ Body Language
When treating seriously ill patients, doctors give less compassionate verbal cues to black patients than to white patients, according to a small University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine trial revealed. It is the first to look at such interactions in a time-pressured, end-of-life situation. The finding, published in the January issue of the Journal of… Continue reading Racial Bias May Be Conveyed by Doctors’ Body Language