In recent years, the intersection of technology and healthcare has exposed alarming racial disparities in medical treatment and outcomes. A stark example is the pulse oximeter, a device crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been found to overestimate blood oxygen levels in Black patients, potentially leading to delayed or denied care. Dr. Noha Aboelata, founding CEO of Roots Community Health Center in East Oakland, California, was shocked to learn about this inaccuracy. “I just saw red,” she said, recalling her reaction to the New England Journal of Medicine article revealing the issue. The discovery prompted her clinic to file a…
Author: Disparity Matters
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced a new air pollution regulation aimed at significantly reducing soot levels, a move that could prevent thousands of premature deaths annually. This groundbreaking rule is expected to have a profound impact on poor and minority communities, which have historically suffered from higher exposure to industrial pollution.Research underscores the critical nature of this regulation, highlighting that Black Americans and low-income White Americans are more likely to reside near polluting facilities and, as a result, stand to gain substantially from the reduction of PM2.5 levels. These fine particulate matters, known for their ability to penetrate…
A new study found that Black children are more likely to have severe reactions to food allergies than white children. They also go to the emergency room more often because of these reactions. The study was done by researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The researchers looked at information from 784 children in a study called FORWARD. This study included children from different races and ethnicities. They found that even though the differences in severe reactions and using epinephrine (a medicine for allergies) weren’t huge, there might be reasons why Black children have worse reactions. The researchers think…
A recent study reveals ongoing racial disparities in the treatment and survival rates of seniors with multiple myeloma (MM), a type of blood cancer primarily affecting older adults. Conducted by Rong Wang, Ph.D., a senior research scientist in epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine, and colleagues, the research analyzed Medicare records of patients aged 66 and older diagnosed with MM between 2007 and 2017. The findings, published in Cancer Medicine, indicate that non-Hispanic African Americans are less likely to receive treatment within the first year of diagnosis compared to their White counterparts. However, untreated African American patients showed lower mortality…
Over 100,000 Americans with sickle cell disease often struggle to access effective healthcare and groundbreaking treatments, as stated by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. Despite medical advancements bringing us closer to cures, many individuals with sickle cell disease and their families still face challenges in obtaining the care they need. The U.S. is now testing a new access model to make gene therapy, a potentially curative treatment for sickle cell disease, more affordable. This initiative is a significant step towards addressing health disparities and underrepresentation in the healthcare system, particularly for those affected by sickle cell disease, a…
Addressed cancer screening disparities among older adults, especially in underserved populations.
A new study reveals alarming trends in cardiovascular deaths linked to substance use, with certain racial and ethnic groups bearing a disproportionate burden. Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that despite overall improvements in cardiovascular mortality, deaths related to substance use increased by 4 percent annually from 1999 to 2019. While the increase affected all demographics, some communities saw more dramatic spikes. American Indian and Alaska Native adults experienced a 5.4 percent year-over-year rise, compared to 5.1 percent for white Americans and lower rates for other groups. Rural residents and young adults aged 25-59 also saw…
Black adults exposed to gun violence face a higher likelihood of experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors, according to a new study by Rutgers Health researchers. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, reveals a concerning association between various forms of gun violence exposure and increased suicide risk among the Black population. The study surveyed 3,015 Black adults and found that 56 percent had been exposed to at least one type of gun violence, while 12 percent had experienced three or more types. Specifically, being threatened with a gun or knowing someone who had been shot was linked to lifetime suicidal ideation…
A new study reveals that women and racial minorities are 20% to 30% more likely than white men to experience medical misdiagnosis, highlighting the human cost of health disparities in the United States. The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that nearly 1 in 4 hospital patients who died or were transferred to intensive care had experienced a diagnostic error. An estimated 795,000 patients annually die or are permanently disabled due to misdiagnosis. Charity Watkins, a Black woman, experienced this firsthand when her postpartum heart failure was initially dismissed as depression and flu. “We almost lost you,” a cardiologist later told…
In the wake of Roe v. Wade’s overturning, Hispanic women in the United States, particularly in Texas, are facing significant challenges due to stringent abortion restrictions. A recent analysis highlights that nearly half of all U.S. states have enacted more restrictive abortion laws, disproportionately affecting Latinas. This demographic shift has led to a notable increase in fertility rates among Hispanic women and teens in Texas, contrasting with a decline among their white counterparts. The Center for Reproductive Rights has taken legal action against the state of Texas, arguing that the ban’s exceptions for emergency situations are ambiguously defined, leading to…