Health Disparities

Minority patients are often at the nadir of society, being underrepresented in top economic reforms, and even in the medical research field. Recently, there has been rising evidence of the increasing disparities in risks, disease presentation and response to treatment among diverse ethnic groups. Hence the need to improve recruitment strategies to ensure maximum participation...

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), fewer than 10% of patients enrolled in clinical trials are minorities. This begs the question whether clinical trials data and research are truly relevant. Dr. Consuelo Hopkins Wilkins is a researcher at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis who experiences challenges recruiting older African Americans...

A Baylor University study found that a significantly higher number of African Americans had peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared to Hispanics and whites in patients over the age of 55. Peripheral artery disease is defined as atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta and the arteries in the legs. PAD can be asymptomatic or symptomatic. Symptoms of...

Within the United States, there are over 2.5 million Latino Americans suffering with type II diabetes mellitus.  This is alarming, not only because Latinos are 17% more likely to develop diabetes than their white counterparts, but also because Hispanic women are 1.5 times more likely to die from diabetes than white woman.  The lack of...

The Latino population in America have a higher prevalence of obesity and it is important that clinicians treating these patients understand the causes of this epidemic.  With data showing that one in every four Latinos are now obese, regardless of their age, we have to start finding ways to combat this ever-increasing problem in order...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated progressive disease that results in chronic inflammation and demyelination of the central nervous system. It leads to physical and cognitive disability, with symptoms including fatigue, gait and visual disturbances, bowl and bladder dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction and mental health symptoms. The exact cause of MS is unknown but is thought to...

Multiple sclerosis affects approximately 400,000 people across the United States and over 2 million people worldwide. [Munoz-Culla 2013; Buchanan 2011] Symptoms of MS include focal signs such as weak motor and sensory deficits, visual disorders, spasticity, bladder and bowel dysfunction, and dysphagia, as well as generalized symptoms, including depression, pain, cognitive difficulties, and fatigue. [Kahn...

Source: www.BloodJournal.com Compared with whites, African Americans and Hispanics receive treatment later and with higher associated costs (WASHINGTON, October 17, 2019) — Among patients with multiple myeloma, African Americans and Hispanics start treatment with a novel therapy significantly later than white patients, according to a new study published today in Blood Advances. The study found...

The incidence and prevalence of atrial fibrillation in the U.S. has increased in the last several years and is predicted to continue to increase in future decades. It is estimated approximately 12-15 million people in the United States will have atrial fibrillation by 2050. The aging population plays a role in the increasing incidence with...