A new study examining brain health disparities among men reveals striking differences in how cardiovascular risk factors affect white matter damage across racial and ethnic groups. Researchers analyzed brain scans and health data from 1,378 men participating in the Health and Aging Brain Study-Health Disparities.The research found that Hispanic men showed the most extensive vulnerability to brain injury from conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking. Every cardiovascular risk factor examined was linked to increased white matter hyperintensities—brain lesions that appear as bright spots on MRI scans and signal vascular damage that can lead to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s…
Author: Disparity Matters
Black and Hispanic residents in U.S. nursing homes are significantly less likely to have access to Alzheimer’s disease special care units (ASCUs), according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. These specialized units, which improve outcomes for people with dementia, are available in only 13.6% of nursing homes nationwide. The study analyzed data from over 13,000 facilities and found that nursing homes with higher percentages of Black residents were up to 45% less likely to offer ASCUs. Facilities with more Hispanic residents also showed reduced access, though disparities were less responsive to policy changes. Researchers found that Medicaid…
A new study reveals that depression and loneliness are critical, yet often overlooked, contributors to hypertension in Black women—deepening disparities in cardiovascular health. Researchers at George Washington University reviewed 23 studies spanning 15 years, focusing on Black women in the U.S. diagnosed with high blood pressure.Hypertension affects over half of Black women, compared to 39% of non-Hispanic white women. Yet only a quarter of those affected have their condition under control. The review found that Black women with hypertension face significantly higher risks of depression and report elevated levels of loneliness. These emotional burdens are not just side effects—they may…
In San Francisco, Black babies are now nearly three times more likely to be born prematurely than white babies—a disparity that has reached its highest level since the state began tracking the data in 2007. While the city’s overall preterm birth rate is below the state average, the rate for Black infants has surged to 16%, compared to just 6% for white infants. This widening gap is not just statistical—it’s deeply personal. Teaja Watts gave birth to her daughter Kaori at just 25 weeks. “I just didn’t know if she was going to live or not,” she said. Kaori has…
Black men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer are significantly less likely than white men to receive confirmatory testing within the first year—a critical step in ensuring accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open found that Black men had a 6.1 percent lower rate of completing these tests, with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.75 compared to white men.Confirmatory testing helps determine whether active surveillance is appropriate or if more aggressive treatment is needed. Without it, patients may miss the opportunity for timely intervention or, conversely, undergo unnecessary procedures. The lack of testing raises concerns…
New research reveals that racial and ethnic disparities in children’s mental health care access differ widely across U.S. states, challenging the reliability of national averages. The study, published in Psychiatric Services, examined data from the National Survey of Children’s Health between 2016 and 2019, focusing on caregiver-reported unmet mental health needs and difficulty accessing care.Among Black children compared to White children, significant disparities in unmet mental health needs were found in four states. In another state, Black children were more likely to face difficulty accessing treatment. Interestingly, four states showed better access for Black children than White children, suggesting that…
A new study published in Science Advances by researchers from University College London and the Stockholm Environment Institute reveals that air pollution from the U.S. oil and gas industry is responsible for 91,000 premature deaths annually, along with 216,000 new cases of childhood asthma and 10,350 preterm births. The research is the first to quantify health impacts across every stage of the oil and gas lifecycle—from extraction to end-use.Lead author Dr. Karn Vohra explained, “One in five preterm births and adult deaths linked to fine particulate pollution are from oil and gas.” He added that nearly 90% of new childhood…
Eviction is recasting itself as a public health crisis, with new research showing it falls hardest on Black mothers and children in Detroit and across the country. Social epidemiologist Shawnita Sealy-Jefferson’s SECURE study found that Black mothers living in Metro Detroit neighborhoods with higher eviction filing rates face a 68 percent higher risk of premature birth, a leading cause of infant mortality in the United States. She warns that a pregnant person does not even need to lose their own home; simply witnessing a neighbor’s displacement or living under a constant threat of eviction can trigger “serious physiological symptoms” that…
Puerto Ricans living in the United States die from asthma at higher rates than their counterparts on the island, and education plays a critical role in those disparities. A new study in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice shows that Puerto Ricans with lower educational attainment face particularly steep risks, challenging long-held assumptions about Hispanic health advantages.Researchers found that Puerto Rican individuals in the U.S. with less than a high school degree had an asthma mortality rate of 38.86 per 100,000, compared with 22.37 per 100,000 among Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico. Even with a high school…
Black Americans face not only systemic barriers to healthcare access but also direct harm within clinical settings due to racial bias among healthcare professionals. A recent peer-reviewed article in the AMA Journal of Ethics reveals how clinician bias contributes to iatrogenic harm—injury caused by medical care itself—and worsens health outcomes for Black patients.Pain management and diabetes-related limb amputations are two stark examples. Studies show that White medical trainees who believe false biological differences between races consistently rate Black patients’ pain lower and offer less treatment. Black patients are also less likely to be referred to pain specialists and more likely…