News Feature Channel: Health Disparities

UC Davis Doctor Trains Pediatric Anesthesiologists in Country with Critical Shortage

UC Davis Health — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 19:50:11 EST

Like many countries across the globe, Zambia is experiencing a severe shortage of anesthesiologists. Niroop Ravula, a pediatric anesthesiologist at UC Davis Health, traveled to Zambia with Orbis International to train Zambian colleagues on anesthesiology tools that are standard in the U.S.

New Guidelines Aim to Improve Cystic Fibrosis Screening

University of Washington School of Medicine — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 18:05:30 EST

All states should adopt updated screening protocols so more newborns with cystic fibrosis can be diagnosed in the first weeks of life, when interventions can have the greatest benefit, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation guidelines published April 2 in the International Journal of Neonatal Screening.

Children Exposed to Higher Ozone Levels Early in Life Are More Likely to Develop Asthma

University of Washington — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 21:20:23 EST

Children exposed to higher levels of ozone in their first two years of life were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with asthma or wheezing at ages 4-6 -- but researchers didn't observe the increased risk of asthma at ages 8-9.

Pioneering Tests Could Improve the Assessment of Dementia in Ageing Africans

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 07:30:44 EST

Researchers have introduced improved cognitive tests to assess dementia in older Africans, part of the HAALSI-HCAP study in rural South Africa. These tools, tailored for local contexts, enhance global ageing research and could inform a national survey. With dementia rates rising, findings will aid prevention and policy.

New ACP Position Paper Urges Policymakers to Prioritize Improving Rural Health and Health Care

American College of Physicians (ACP) — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 17:00:00 EST

Rural communities in the United States face a dire health crisis that threatens the population's well-being, says the American College of Physicians, in a new policy published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Make These Scientific Sessions Part of Your Media Coverage

American Thoracic Society (ATS) — Mon, 31 Mar 2025 08:00:00 EST

Register now for a complimentary media pass for ATS 2025 International Conference in San Francisco. We will have breaking news from the leading international conference for pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.

Reduced Sodium Legislation Saves Lives

University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:30:56 EST

South Africa's 2013 sodium reduction law is lowering blood pressure and improving health. A study by Wits & Harvard found a 10% drop in sodium intake, with stricter limits in processed foods. Even small reductions cut heart disease risk. Experts say more countries should follow suit. #PublicHealth

Exercise Helps Colon Cancer Survivors Live Longer

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 19:35:50 EST

Regular physical activity after treatment for stage 3 colon cancer reduces and may even eliminate disparities in survival between those with cancer and those in a general population of similar age and sex, according to new Dana-Farber Cancer Institute research.

Higher Alcohol Use Among Queer Black Sexual and Gender Minorities Linked to Drinking Behaviors in Their Social Circles, Anxiety, Latine Ethnicity, and Growing Up Exposed to Problematic Drinking

Research Society on Alcoholism — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 10:00:00 EST

Black sexual minority men and transgender women (sexual and gender minorities; SGM) consume more alcohol on average than people in the general population.

Research Reveals Gender Bias Blind Spot Among Men in Local Leadership

University of South Australia — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 12:00:38 EST

Men in local leadership positions are unaware of gender leadership disparities and are less likely to challenge dominant stereotypes compared to women, suggests ...

ACS Study Finds Nearly Four Million Pre-Mature Lung Cancer Deaths in U.S. Averted and 76 Million Years of Lives Gained Due to Tobacco Control

American Cancer Society (ACS) — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 10:00:00 EST

New research led by American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers estimates more than 3.8 million lung cancer deaths were averted and a little over 76 million years of life gained in the United States during 1970-2022 due to substantial reductions in smoking prevalence driven by tobacco control. The study is published today in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.

New Study Reveals How Polluting Industries and Healthcare Disparities Drive Congenital Heart Defect Rates in Mexico

George Washington University — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 18:10:20 EST

A one of its kind study has uncovered the significant role that environmental pollution and healthcare disparities play in the prevalence of congenital heart defects in Mexico.

New Guideline on Gastric Premalignant Cancer Published by the American College of Gastroenterology

American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 19:50:37 EST

The American College of Gastroenterology has published its first clinical guideline on the diagnosis and management of gastric premalignant conditions (GPMC), including endoscopic surveillance, risk stratification, resection, the role of H. pylori infection, risk reduction, and management of autoimmune gastritis and gastric epithelial polyps.

Socioeconomically Disadvantaged People Still Underusing Emergency Department Services in the Wake of the COVID Pandemic

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 21:30:29 EST

Socioeconomically disadvantaged groups may still be underusing emergency departments for potentially serious illnesses in the wake of the COVID pandemic, despite an overall rebound in emergency department use by 2022.

Proposed Legislation Would Provide Crucial Funding for Endometriosis Research

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:20:27 EST

The Endometriosis CARE Act, which was introduced in 2022, seeks to deliver $50 million annually to advance research and expand access to treatment for this condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, often causing pain, heavy periods and potential fertility issues.

Pediatric Chronic Disease Prevalence Has Risen to Nearly 30% in the Last 20 Years

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 20:10:00 EST

The prevalence of chronic conditions has risen to unprecedented levels over the past twenty years, with nearly 1-in-3, or about 25 million, young people ages 5 to 25 estimated to now be living with pediatric onset conditions that significantly affect their lives.

Rutgers Researchers Revive Decades-Old Pregnancy Cohort With Modern Scientific Potential

Rutgers University-New Brunswick — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 17:40:00 EST

The Camden Study, a pregnancy cohort of 4,765 women recruited between 1985 and 2006 from one of America's poorest cities, has found new life at Rutgers University - where it promises to unlock critical insights into maternal and child health for researchers worldwide.

Neighborhood Factors Affect Rehab Services After Traumatic Brain Injury

Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:00:01 EST

Contextual social determinants of health (SDoH) - for example, rural residence and neighborhood economic factors - may affect access to community-based rehabilitation services for older adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI), suggests a study in the March/April issue of Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR). The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

Female Sex Hormone Protects Against Opioid Misuse, Rat Study Finds

Washington University in St. Louis — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:00:00 EST

Male and female rats with a chronic pain condition release different amounts of dopamine when given fentanyl because of sex hormones, according to a new study from WashU Medicine. The findings might help explain why men have higher rates of opioid use and overdose deaths.

Study: Florida Leukemia Rates Rising Rapidly as Population Ages

Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 06:05:37 EST

A new Sylvester Cancer study reveals Florida has the nation's highest and fastest-growing leukemia rates, driven primarily by an influx of retirees, but it also uncovers a critical mismatch: many of the state's leukemia "hotspots," lack nearby specialized treatment, putting these residents at higher risk.