Health Disparities News and Research

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Health disparities (also called healthcare inequality in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups.

Analysis highlights high TBI death rates among older adults and men

A new analysis of U.S. mortality data reveals the disproportionate impact of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) on older adults, males and certain racial and ethnic groups.

10 Jan 2025

AI-based method predicts progression of autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases, where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy cells and tissues, often have a preclinical stage before diagnosis that's characterized by mild symptoms or certain antibodies in the blood.

7 Jan 2025

Multidisciplinary Hispanic health study receives $21 million NIH grant

A multidisciplinary team of University of Miami researchers studying factors associated with health outcomes and disease risk in the Hispanic community has received a $21 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

7 Jan 2025

Y chromosome’s unexpected impact on aging and disease in men

Loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) in men, a dynamic mutation linked to aging, impairs immune function and increases risks of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular diseases, making it a promising biomarker and therapeutic target.

5 Jan 2025

CDC study highlights growing tularemia threat in central U.S.

Tularemia cases in the U.S. rose by 56% from 2011 to 2022, with central states and American Indian communities most affected, highlighting diagnostic advancements and health disparities.

2 Jan 2025

Study reveals how societal inequities influence brain aging and dementia

Researchers from Trinity College Dublin have collaborated with international partners to explore if societal inequality affects our brain.

27 Dec 2024

University of Arizona receives $3.4 million grant to expand asthma inhaler program in schools

A University of Arizona Health Sciences-led program that provides schools with asthma inhalers to help students experiencing respiratory distress will be expanded and improved thanks to a $3.4 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

19 Dec 2024

Research pinpoints critical age for improving children's cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a critical public health concern, with risk factors such as high blood pressure, abnormal blood sugar levels, elevated cholesterol, and obesity beginning in childhood.

18 Dec 2024

Study finds racial and ethnic disparities in the use of obesity-management drugs

Asians, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics were significantly less likely than whites to use obesity-management medications to lower their weight compared with whites, new research suggests.

18 Dec 2024

Caregiver stress may increase hypertension risk in Black women

A new analysis finds that the stress of being a caregiver is associated with an increased risk of developing high blood pressure in 21- to 44-year-old Black women, a group known to have a higher prevalence of the condition compared with women of other racial and ethnic groups.

12 Dec 2024

Family income found to be a stronger predictor of health-related problems for 17-year-olds

A new paper in the Journal of Public Health, published by Oxford University Press, finds that household income in early childhood is a stronger and more consistent predictor for several major health-related problems for 17-year-olds than growing up in a poor neighborhood.

10 Dec 2024

Study: Closing underperforming hospitals may exacerbate health inequalities in rural areas

Closing underperforming hospitals may do more harm than good, particularly in rural areas -regardless of their performance status, according to new research from the University of Surrey.

9 Dec 2024

Redlining's legacy associated with shortened lifespan and health risks

Redlining - a mid-20th-century federal government practice of denying home loans in African American and other minority neighborhoods - has long been associated with poor health outcomes, including disparate overall mortality rates among racial and ethnic groups.

5 Dec 2024

US census data reveal socioeconomic drivers of air pollution-related cancer risks

New research builds on scientific understanding of how air pollution and cancer risk are distributed throughout the U.S. Air pollution, often resulting from industrial or vehicle emissions, can travel for hundreds of miles and impact the health of communities through higher rates of asthma, respiratory infections, stroke, and lung cancer.

4 Dec 2024

Study reveals vast majority of U.S. states experiencing decline in drugstores

About 1 in 3 U.S. retail pharmacies have closed since 2010, with the vast majority of states experiencing an overall decline in drugstores in recent years, according to a new study from researchers at USC and the University of California, Berkeley.

3 Dec 2024

CMS introduces new payment model to improve kidney transplant outcomes

A new final rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services this week for a mandatory alternative payment model called the Increasing Organ Transplant Access (IOTA) Model aimed to improve the number of life-saving kidney transplants for patients whose kidneys have failed.

2 Dec 2024

Flaws in study design may limit detection of cognitive effects in diet trials

Researchers review the role of diet in preventing cognitive decline and dementia.

28 Nov 2024

Reducing physical activity disparities between genders could save billions

Eliminating current physical activity disparities between male and female youth in the United States could save around $780 million for each new cohort of six-to-17-year-olds, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. In fact, bringing more equity to sports participation could save even more: $1.55 billion.

27 Nov 2024

Routine health checks for heart disease risk did not recover fully after the pandemic

Routine screening to detect risk factors for heart disease dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, and some key measurements, such as blood pressure readings, may still lag behind pre-pandemic levels.

26 Nov 2024