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UrduSEATTLE — June 2, 2021 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research findings and other news. If you are covering news at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (June 4-8), check out our ASCO page highlighting Fred Hutch presentations and feel free to reach out to our media team for help sourcing experts: media@fredhutch.
Tag: Health Disparities
Cannabis Legalization Could Lead to Health Disparities in Women of Reproductive Age
A Rutgers expert discusses how the legalization of cannabis could widen gaps in health and social equity for pregnant women, new mothers and their children.
UIC leads new collaborative to reduce COVID-19 disparities
The University of Illinois Chicago has been selected by the National Institutes of Health as the principal site of a multi-center collaborative in the Chicago area that will bolster research and outreach to help communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
Dr. Elisa Rodriguez Named Roswell Park’s First-Ever Chief Diversity and Equity Officer for Faculty
A new role as Chief Diversity and Equity Officer for Faculty will give Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Elisa M. Rodriguez, PhD, MS, expanded opportunity to apply her deep-rooted commitment to improving the lives of people from underserved communities.
Americans are increasingly experiencing chronic pain
This study comprehensively documents rising levels of chronic pain among Americans aged 25-84 to show that pain prevalence — already high at baseline — increased substantially from 2002-18, with increases evident in all leading pain sites (joint, back, neck, jaw, and migraine).
Disparities persisted as orthopaedic visits shifted to telemedicine
Like other medical specialties at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, orthopaedic surgery rapidly pivoted from in-person visits to remote appointments via telemedicine. Analysis of that initial experience finds that some groups of patients faced persistent or worsening disparities as the shift to telemedicine occurred, reports Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® (CORR®), a publication of The Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
4DMedical Teaming with ATS Diversity Fund to Improve Access and Equity in American Health Care
The American Thoracic Society is recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion and is respected as a powerful advocate protecting the health of the American people by encouraging increased investment in public health care. During the ATS 2021 International Conference starting May 14, respiratory imaging disruptor 4DMedical is partnering with the ATS to make better health care technologies accessible to those who need it the most.
New mutation raises risk for AFib, heart failure for people of color
A new mutation found in a gene associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation poses a significantly increased risk for heart failure in Black people.
CUR Psychology Division Announces 2021 Psychology Research Awardees
The Psychology Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research announces the 2021 recipients of its Psychology Research Awards. The recipients are undergraduate students conducting original psychological research, who receive awards of up to $500 per project.
Penn Nursing Dean to Chair National Committee
Antonia Villarruel, PhD, RN, FAAN, the Margaret Bond Simon Dean of Nursing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, will Chair the second phase of the National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM) Culture of Health Program (CoHP) Advisory Committee, which engages a diverse group of experts/advisors to provide strategic guidance to ensure the CoHP meets its intended aims. Her term runs from 2021 through 2023.
Tip Sheet: New COVID-19 transmission study, returning to school, video of biorepositories — and a new weight loss study
SEATTLE — April 2, 2021 — Below are summaries of recent Fred Hutch research findings and other news. April is National Minority Health Month, with a focus on the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on communities of color. See more details below on related Fred Hutch programming.Save the date for our monthly public science event, “Science Says” on Tuesday, April 27.
PHocus – A Public Health Summer Experience for High School Students, is Now Accepting Applications
Applications are now open for the Rutgers School of Public Health’s annual summer experience, PHocus (Public Health Outbreaks, Community, & Urban Studies).
Scientists Scour Genes of 53,000+ People to Better Battle Dangerous Diseases
International Project Set to Boost Precision Medicine, Reduce Health Disparities
Programs help shield Black youth from effects of racism
Family-centered prevention programs that foster protective caregiving can buffer the negative effects of racial discrimination on young Black people, according to a study published by University of Georgia researchers.
Association of American Cancer Institutes Issues Statement Condemning Racism, Violence
In a formal statement, the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI) condemned racism, discrimination, and gun violence, urging that these issues be confronted as public health crises.
UCLA issues policy brief on reducing COVID vaccine hesitancy in multiethnic Los Angeles communities
The UCLA-led coalition called the COVID-19 California Alliance, or STOP COVID-19 CA has issued a policy brief to reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Los Angeles’ multiethnic communities, which have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. The coalition is part…
Black women with PCOS have higher risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and stroke
Black women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have higher risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and stroke compared with white women, according to a study presented virtually at ENDO 2021, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting.
Study Points to Importance of Crisis Standards of Care for Equitable Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine study, “Assessment of the Disparities Associated With a Crisis Standards of Care Resource Allocation Algorithm for Patients in Two U.S. Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” published March 11 in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the American Medical Association.
During pandemic, potentially avoidable hospitalizations for non-COVID conditions fell more among whites
New research suggests that the COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated existing racial health care disparities and that during the pandemic, African Americans may have had worse access than whites to outpatient care that could have helped prevent deterioration of their non–COVID-19 health conditions
Rutgers Cancer Health Justice Lab Creates COVID-19 Educational Video in Spanish
COVID-19 disproportionately impacts Latinx families more than any other racial and ethnic group, yet there are few available resources to mitigate these risks. The Rutgers School of Public Health’s Cancer Health Justice Lab has launched an educational COVID-19 video in Spanish to address the lack of resources available to Latinx families.
Survey reveals racial, political differences in COVID-19 responses
A study from Michigan State University that found in spite of Black Americans’ attitudes toward proper precautions, they are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and White people are less likely to fall ill.
NIH Awards UC San Diego $33 Million for Five COVID-19 Diagnostic Projects
UC San Diego was awarded five COVID-19 Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) projects by the National Institutes of Health totaling nearly $33 million, which will fund efforts that range from managing a large data center to expanding testing in disadvantaged communities.
Current Liver Cancer Screenings May Leave African Americans at Greater Risk
Early detection could reduce the number of African Americans dying from liver cancer, but current screening guidelines may not find cancer soon enough in this community, according to a study published in Cancer in February.
Pulse oximeters are useful, non-invasive tools for estimating blood oxygen levels, but FDA cautions that the devices have limitations and caveats, particularly among persons of color
Pulse oximeters are devices that clip painlessly onto fingers to externally measure blood oxygen levels, based on measurements of light absorbed through tissues. Recent research suggests these devices are less accurate in persons with dark skin pigmentation. The U.S. Food…
Rutgers Expert Available to Comment on Higher COVID-19 Rates Among Nonwhite LGBTQ Population
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people of color are disproportionately experiencing the impact of COVID-19. “We can’t treat the LGBTQ community as a monolith and must attend to the diversity within this population,” says Perry N. Halkitis, dean…
New recommendations aim to eliminate racial bias in myeloma trials
Recommendations designed to address the under-representation of African Americans in clinical trials for multiple myeloma (MM), a blood cancer that is twice as deadly in this demographic as in whites.
Roswell Park Awarded Nearly $2 Million to Study Cause of Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer
A research team headed by Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center epidemiologist Zhihong Gong, PhD, has been awarded a five-year, $1.9 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for an investigation into the role that certain genetic molecules play in breast cancer disparities.
How to talk to patients of color about the COVID-19 vaccine amid hesitancy and mistrust
A new Annals of Internal Medicine editorial co-authored by a University of Chicago Medicine health disparities researcher offers practical tips for clinicians to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with patients of color who may be hesitant to get vaccinated.
Health Disparities and COVID-19, Toxicity of E-cigarette Generated Aerosols, and More Featured in February 2021 Toxicological Sciences
Toxicological Sciences continues to feature leading toxicology research in the areas of developmental and reproductive toxicology; endocrine toxicology; neurotoxicology; molecular, biochemical, and systems toxicology; and more.
Systemic Racism & Health Care: Building Black Confidence in the COVID-19 Vaccine
The Tuskegee syphilis experiment. The secret sale of Henrietta Lacks cancer research cells. Jim Crow laws affecting African Americans’ ability to receive medical treatment. For weeks, it’s been hard to hear over the clamor of millions of Americans lining up for COVID-19 vaccines. But not everyone has been enthused — namely, large swaths of minority communities, which comprise the populations disproportionately impacted by the virus, but whose hesitance is largely fueled by the country’s racist medical past.
FSMB Symposium on Racism and Disparities in Health Care Now Available Online
The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) released today a video recording of “Health Equity and Medical Regulation: How Disparities are Impacting U.S. Health Care Quality and Delivery and Why it Matters” – a symposium it hosted on January 26. The recording of the event is accessible for public viewing.
Most vulnerable often overlooked in clinical trials of new treatments for COVID-19
Not only are studies of COVID-19 treatments being conducted at locations that don’t typically care for high proportions of Black and Hispanic patients, the studies frequently exclude individuals with high-risk chronic ailments or who are pregnant.
Poll shows inequality among older adults in ability to isolate a COVID-19-positive person at home, or get outside
People who have tested positive for COVID-19 should isolate themselves from the other people they live with. But a new poll suggests that nearly one in five older adults don’t have the ability to do this – and that there are disparities by race, ethnicity, income and health status.
Social and Structural Factors, Not Biology, are Strong Influencers of Racial Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality
COVID-19 mortality racial disparities in the U.S. are associated with social factors like income, education and internet access, according to a Rutgers study.
Minority Nurse Practitioners Underrepresented in New York State
A recent study conducted by the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies found that Hispanic NPs were underrepresented in most regions of the state when compared to the Hispanic population in those regions.
Faculty Named Emerging Scholar
Adana Llanos, assistant professor in the department of biostatistics and epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health, has been named a 2021 Emerging Scholar by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism on Disparities in Children with Type 1 Diabetes
Advancements in diabetes technology have improved quality of life and glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes. However, data show that a subset of children is being left behind. Those from low-income families and non-Hispanic Black (NHB) children are not experiencing benefits associated with technological advances, and are at higher risk for diabetes complications and adverse outcomes through ongoing poor glycemic control.
Strange colon discovery explains racial disparities in colorectal cancer
The colons of African-Americans and people of European descent age differently, new research reveals, helping explain racial disparities in colorectal cancer – the cancer that killed beloved “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman.
45% of adults over 65 lack online medical accounts that could help them sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations
As the vaccination of older adults against COVID-19 begins across the country, new poll data suggests that many of them don’t yet have access to the “patient portal” online systems that could make it much easier for them to schedule a vaccination appointment. In all, 45% of adults aged 65 to 80 had not set up an account with their health provider’s portal system.
Black people with type 1 diabetes, COVID-19 are four times more likely to be hospitalized for diabetic ketoacidosis
Black and Hispanic people with COVID-19 and diabetes are more likely than Caucasians to die or have serious complications, according to a new study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
Multi-Population Risk Scores Could Improve Risk Prediction for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Study Finds
New study illustrates how studying diverse populations can help predict patient outcomes and reduce health disparities
Majority of Pregnant Women Who Tested Positive for COVID-19 Were Asymptomatic, Study Finds
The majority of pregnant women who tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival to the delivery room were asymptomatic, according to a new paper by Mount Sinai researchers.
Black churches are trusted messengers of COVID-19 information to their communities, Mayo study finds
U.S. public health officials have reported that Black communities are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher infection and mortality rates than the general population. Now as the number of COVID-19 cases across the U.S. surge, Mayo Clinic researchers are working closely with Black churches on disparities in emergency preparedness and providing access to culturally relevant, evidence-based health information.
Why Black women (and men) are dying of colorectal cancer at higher rates
Dr. Fola P. May is available to discuss the concern over young Black Americans dying of colorectal cancer, such as actor Natalie Desselle-Reid and Chadwick Boseman. “Until we address the lowest screening rates in the most disadvantaged communities in the…
December Issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology Highlights Health Disparities and Social Determinants of Health
The December issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology is now available and features new clinical research across a wide range of gastroenterology and hepatology topics, including health disparities, colorectal cancer, cirrhosis, pediatric gastroenterology, the environmental impact of endoscopy, and more.
Chicago neighborhoods with barriers to social distancing had higher COVID-19 death rates
New research has found that Chicago neighborhoods with barriers to social distancing, including limited access to broadband internet and low rates of health insurance, had more COVID-19 deaths in spring 2020. The study, led by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago, is published in the Annals of Epidemiology.
World AIDS Day During COVID-19: AU Experts Offer Insights
World AIDS Day During COVID-19: AU Experts Offer Insights What: How have lessons from the HIV/AIDS pandemic inform our response to COVID-19? What has been the impact of COVID-19 on people living with HIV/AIDS and HIV research? AU experts are…
Springfield Dermatologist Recognized for Extraordinary Efforts during COVID-19 Pandemic
The American Academy of Dermatology named board-certified dermatologist Sacharitha Bowers, MD, FAAD, a Patient Care Hero for her role in addressing disparities in care related to COVID-19 in Springfield, Ill.
What’s at stake in the Supreme Court’s ACA case? A quick explainer
Though the election and pandemic have eclipsed it in the news, there’s another event unfolding that could affect nearly all Americans: a Supreme Court case that will decide the future of the Affordable Care Act. A health policy researcher explains what would happen if it’s overturned.
Young survivors of acute myeloid leukemia have long-term complications from treatment
Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients treated for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have a high risk of developing several long-term health complications after treatment, a study led by UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers has found. The most common complications were cardiovascular, endocrine and respiratory diseases. The complications – known as late effects – were more present among non-white AYA patients and those living in more deprived neighborhoods.