A new study has revealed that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities face the highest risk of ischemic stroke in the United States—far surpassing other racial and ethnic groups. The study, led by Dr. Fadar O. Otite and published in Neurology, analyzed six years of hospital data from Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and New York. The findings are stark: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders experienced 591 strokes per 100,000 people. That’s more than double the rate for Black individuals (292), over three times the rate for white individuals (180), and nearly six times the rate for Asian individuals (108). Even after…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new UCLA Health review reveals that America’s obesity epidemic is fueled not just by diet and exercise, but by stress, discrimination, and social hardship—factors that disproportionately impact low-income and minority communities.Published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, the study highlights how social determinants of health—such as poverty, limited access to nutritious food, unsafe neighborhoods, and systemic racism—can alter gut bacteria and brain function. These changes disrupt appetite regulation, increase cravings for ultra-processed foods, and impair motivation for physical activity.“Neighborhood disadvantage is linked to reduced gut microbiome diversity and a higher presence of harmful bacteria,” said Dr. Arpana Church, who led…
Flooding from hurricanes brings lasting health threats for older adults, notably in disadvantaged and minority communities across New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A major cohort study tracking Medicare beneficiaries over five years found “hurricane-related flooding was associated with increases in cardiovascular disease (CVD) event rates as long as 5 years after landfall.” The greatest spike was seen in heart failure risk, especially for residents in New Jersey. Researchers observed that zip codes most affected by flooding had lower median household incomes and a sharply higher proportion of Hispanic residents. The study concluded that “adverse health outcomes related to hurricane…
Prostate cancer diagnoses are climbing again in the U.S., and Black men are facing the steepest consequences. A recent report from the American Cancer Society shows a 3% annual increase in cases from 2014 to 2021, with the sharpest rise in advanced-stage disease. Black men are 67% more likely to be diagnosed than white men—and nearly twice as likely to die from it.The shift follows changes in screening guidelines. In 2008 and 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advised against routine PSA testing, aiming to reduce overdiagnosis and avoid unnecessary treatments. But researchers now say those recommendations may have…
A new national study shows that Black Americans are being diagnosed with heart failure nearly 14 years sooner than White Americans, underscoring deep racial gaps in health outcomes.Researchers at Northwestern Medicine examined the records of more than 42,000 patients treated at hundreds of hospitals across the country between 2016 and 2019. They found that heart failure typically develops around age 60 for Black patients, compared with nearly 74 for White patients. “Our study shows that social risk factors, including insurance status and area-level educational and economic opportunities, played a major role,” said lead author Xiaoning Huang, a research assistant professor…
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, yet many face serious and underrecognized health disparities. According to Pfizer, nearly 19.4% of Asian adults report lacking a usual source of health care, compared to 12.9% of white adults. Cost barriers play a major role, with Cambodians and Vietnamese three times more likely to skip doctor visits than other Americans.Preventive care gaps are striking. Cervical cancer screening rates lag significantly among Asian American women, with only 60.5% of Vietnamese women in California reporting a pap test in the past three years, compared with 86.2%…
New surveillance data from the New York State Department of Health highlights profound racial inequities in the ongoing HIV epidemic. While overall new diagnoses have decreased significantly over the last decade, minority communities continue to bear a disproportionate burden of the disease. In 2024, the rate of new HIV diagnoses among non-Hispanic Black individuals was starkly 9.2 times higher than that of non-Hispanic White individuals. Similarly, Hispanic residents faced a diagnosis rate 5.4 times higher than their White counterparts.These disparities extend beyond new infections to the total population living with the virus. State records show that prevalence rates for HIV…
In response to sweeping federal cuts targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, Latino health leaders have launched the National Hispanic Health Research Institute — the first Latino-led community research hub designed to close glaring gaps in health data.The institute’s creation follows the cancellation of more than 600 NIH health disparities projects under President Donald Trump’s administration. NIH scientists criticized the policy, warning it “undermines the NIH mission, wastes public resources and harms the health of Americans and people across the globe.” Latino communities, already underrepresented in federally funded studies, are expected to be hit especially hard by the loss of…
Patients from disadvantaged communities face significantly longer waits for critical heart procedures, according to a new study examining atrial fibrillation (AF) care. Researchers found that social determinants of health—measured by the Area Deprivation Index (ADI)—are strongly linked to delays in receiving catheter ablation, a common treatment for AF. The study analyzed data from over 1,000 patients treated at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 2014 and 2023. It revealed that for every 10-point increase in ADI percentile, the time from diagnosis to ablation increased by nearly 7%, translating to an average delay of 3.8 months. Patients in the most disadvantaged third waited…
In response to sweeping federal cuts to diversity-focused health research, Latino public health leaders have launched the National Hispanic Health Research Institute, a bold initiative aimed at closing data gaps and addressing health disparities in underserved communities. The institute’s creation follows the cancellation of over 600 health disparities projects by the National Institutes of Health, a move aligned with President Donald Trump’s policy priorities.“Right now, we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to ensure that every family historically left out of the data is finally seen and counted,” said CEO Ken Barela. He emphasized that when communities are missing…