Alcohol-related liver disease deaths in the U.S. have doubled over the past two decades, with the steepest increases seen among women, young adults, and Indigenous populations. A study published in JAMA Network Open found that from 1999 to 2022, the death rate rose from 6.7 to 12.5 per 100,000 people, with a sharp 9% annual increase between 2018 and 2022. Pandemic-era stressors like financial insecurity and social isolation fueled a surge in alcohol consumption, and the effects have lingered. “The increase continued past the acute phase of the pandemic,” researchers noted, pointing to lasting shifts in drinking habits. Women experienced…
Author: Disparity Matters
As World Blood Donor Day approaches, health experts are sounding the alarm on a persistent and urgent need: more Black blood donors. This call is especially vital for patients with sickle cell disease, a hereditary blood disorder that disproportionately affects Black Americans.Dr. Daniela Hermelin, chief medical officer for ImpactLife, explained that sickle cell disease causes red blood cells to take on a sickle shape, leading to blocked blood flow and complications like strokes, pain crises, and premature death. “Although there are no standard treatments,” Hermelin said, “blood transfusions are a cornerstone of supportive care.”But not just any blood will do.…
Violence remains a major and uneven driver of death in the United States, with new federal surveillance data showing how sharply race and ethnicity shape who is most at risk. In 2022, the nation recorded more than 74,000 violent deaths across all states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, with suicides and homicides accounting for the vast majority. The patterns behind those deaths expose long-standing racial health disparities that persist across age, gender, and geography.Homicide fell hardest on Black communities. Non-Hispanic Black males experienced the highest homicide rate of any racial or ethnic group, a rate far exceeding those of White,…
Pedestrians and cyclists are dying on U.S. streets at alarming rates, but the burden of traffic injury falls unevenly across racial and ethnic lines. New research highlights how communities of color face far greater exposure to being struck while walking or biking, deepening longstanding health disparities tied to place, income, and race.The analysis shows that Black and Hispanic people are more likely to be killed while walking than would be expected based on their share of the population. Using detailed ambulance data from Boston between 2016 and 2021, researchers examined what they call “mobility risk,” the likelihood of being injured…
A rising mental health crisis is gripping Black youth in America, and schools are at the center of the storm. According to a new report from The AAKOMA Project, more than 40% of Black teens aged 13 to 17 seriously considered suicide in the past year. Nearly 38% reported self-harm, and over 16% attempted suicide at least once.Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble, founder of The AAKOMA Project, called the lack of national urgency “unconscionable,” emphasizing that the emotional pain of Black youth is often minimized or ignored. “That the needs of so many Black youth have gone unnoticed—and remain sorely under-addressed—is devastating,”…
As the demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure surges, so does the construction of massive data centers—often in communities already burdened by pollution and health disparities. A new analysis by the Kapor Foundation warns that these facilities, touted as engines of innovation, may be exacerbating environmental injustice, particularly in communities of color. In California, nearly one-third of all operational and planned data centers are located in the top 10% of areas most polluted by diesel particulates. These centers often rely on backup diesel generators, emitting harmful pollutants like PM2.5, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. A 2024 study projected that data centers…
A new University of Pennsylvania study reveals troubling disparities in how clinical teams communicate when caring for Black maternity patients. Researchers analyzed hospital incident reports from women’s health units at a large urban health center between 2019 and 2022, finding that Black women represented 28% of births but were the subject of 38% of incident reports.Most communication failures occurred within clinical teams rather than between providers and patients. This means healthcare professionals weren’t effectively sharing critical information with each other while caring for Black mothers. The most common problems involved omission failures, such as missing crucial details about a patient’s…
A new study reveals that Florida’s mosquito control system may be reinforcing public health disparities, with wealthier areas receiving better protection against mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, West Nile, and Zika.
A recent study from Boston University School of Public Health reveals that children with asthma living in low-income, predominantly Black neighborhoods are more likely to experience severe respiratory issues due to exposure to indoor allergens like cockroaches and rodents. The research utilized electronic health records and geospatial data to predict allergen exposure based on home address, finding that children in homes with a higher likelihood of pest infestations had worse lung function.Dr. Patricia Fabian, a senior author of the study, emphasized that this predictive model allows healthcare providers to identify potential environmental risks without needing to conduct in-home assessments. She…
A recent study analyzing DNA from over 5,000 military veterans with metastatic prostate cancer found that nine of the ten most commonly altered tumor genes were shared between Black and White men. Yet, one gene—TP53—was more frequently mutated in Black men and linked to worse survival outcomes. While the study suggested genomic testing could help guide treatment, some experts argue it misses the deeper issue.Dr. Mack Roach III of UCSF criticized the focus on TP53, stating, “They don’t show that genetic alteration is related to race.” He emphasized that the presence of TP53 mutations was associated with poor outcomes across…