A new study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed that individuals with sickle cell disease have brains that appear significantly older than their actual age. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that participants with sickle cell disease had brains that looked an average of 14 years older than expected.The research team, led by Dr. Andria Ford, chief of the section of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases at WashU Medicine, conducted brain MRI scans and cognitive tests on over 200 young, Black adults with and without sickle cell disease. Using a brain-age prediction…
Author: Disparity Matters
A study has revealed a concerning decline in mental health among U.S. adults from 2011 to 2022, with minority communities bearing the brunt of this crisis. The data points to an increase in anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, disproportionately affecting racial and ethnic minorities.Researchers identified several factors contributing to this trend, including systemic discrimination, economic hardship, and limited access to mental health care. These issues are more prevalent in minority communities, compounding the mental health decline observed over the past decade. For instance, economic instability and chronic stress related to systemic discrimination have been shown to exacerbate mental…
Cancer does not discriminate, except when it does. Prostate cancer takes a harsher toll on Black men than other American men, with Black men almost 70% more likely than white men to develop the disease in their lifetime and twice as likely to die from it, according to a 2025 report from the American Cancer Society.The reasons behind this stark disparity remain complex and not fully understood. Urologic surgeon Vincent Laudone explains that the higher risk may be related to social and environmental issues involving nutrition, access to health care, and exposure to environmental pollutants. Disparities in outcomes also can…
A recent study by psychiatrists at Columbia University has revealed that the rise of teletherapy has not improved access to mental health care for low-income individuals in the United States. Despite the increased adoption of online therapy services, especially during the pandemic, the research shows that those benefiting from these services are predominantly young, well-educated, and from higher income brackets.The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, analyzed data from 89,619 psychotherapy patients. While the percentage of Americans receiving psychotherapy rose from 3-4% pre-pandemic to approximately 8.5% during and after, this increase did not translate to better access for…
A new study spanning two decades has uncovered a significant racial disparity in the progression to bariatric surgery among patients with obesity. While discussions about weight-loss surgery with healthcare providers showed no racial differences, Black patients were 44% less likely to undergo the procedure compared to other racial and ethnic groups.The research, conducted by Dr. Alexander Turchin and colleagues at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, analyzed data from over 122,000 patients with class II obesity or higher between 2000 and 2020. The findings, published in Annals of Surgery Open, reveal that 9.1% of patients discussed metabolic and bariatric surgery…
A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers has revealed that hairstylists serving Black and Latina clients are exposed to alarmingly high levels of airborne toxins in their workplace. The research, published in the Journal of Environmental Exposure Assessment, is the first to report indoor air concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in U.S. hair salons catering to these demographics.The study found that median VOC concentrations in salons were two to 175 times higher than in office spaces. This exposure poses significant health risks, particularly for female hairstylists of reproductive age who work during critical periods before and during pregnancy.”At the…
A recent study reveals alarming statistics about dementia risk in the United States, with African Americans facing significantly higher chances of developing the condition. The research, conducted by a team from NYU Langone Health in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University and other institutions, indicates that Americans over 55 have a 42% lifetime risk of developing dementia, more than double previous estimates.The study, published in Nature Medicine, utilized data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Neurocognitive Study (ARIC-NCS), which has monitored vascular health and cognitive function of nearly 16,000 participants since 1987. This makes it the longest-followed cohort of African Americans…
The landscape of cancer in the United States is shifting, with younger women bearing an increasing burden of the disease, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society. While overall cancer survival rates have improved, the report highlights concerning trends in cancer incidence among women under 50 and persistent racial disparities in cancer outcomes.The report reveals that six of the ten most common cancers are on the rise, including breast and uterine cancers. Notably, cancer rates are increasing among women under 50 and those aged 50 to 64, while remaining flat or decreasing in men of the same…
“Compared to White people, Hispanic people have lower incidence for most common cancers (female breast, colorectum, lung and prostate), but 36% higher incidence of cervical cancer and almost 2 times higher incidence of stomach and liver cancer, all of which are largely preventable.”
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