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.

Ripple Effects Mapping reveals success of academic-community partnership against COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic did not affect everyone equally. Communities of color, especially Latino (including undocumented persons), Black, and Native American groups, as well as people with low incomes, experienced much higher rates of infection, hospitalization, and death.

6 Oct 2025

Deadly brain cancer erodes skull bone and alters immune marrow

Scientists at Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC) and Albert Einstein College of Medicine have shown for the first time that glioblastoma-the deadliest form of brain cancer-affects not just the brain but also erodes the skull, alters the makeup of skull marrow, and interferes with the body's immune response.

3 Oct 2025

A sense of control increases success in handling daily stress

A looming deadline at work, a clogged toilet, an argument with a loved one - these daily hassles can make any day feel more stressful. When these demands pile up, it can feel overwhelming, like there's no end in sight.

30 Sep 2025

Herd immunity from HPV vaccine provides protection even for unvaccinated women

A large, long-term study led by an Albert Einstein College of Medicine researcher has found that the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in community settings is highly effective in protecting young women from infections caused by the cervical-cancer-causing virus-including women who didn't even receive the vaccine.

29 Sep 2025

Emergency departments emerge as key entry point for hospice and palliative care

One-third of Americans will visit an emergency department, or ED, within a month of their death. While EDs are primarily purposed to provide emergent care, they're increasingly becoming an initial touchpoint for hospice and palliative care, or HPC, referrals and consultations, according to a new study from several researchers at Henry Ford Health + Michigan State University Health Sciences.

25 Sep 2025

Racial discrimination linked to greater psychosis risk

Being racially or ethnically discriminated against may increase the risk of later developing psychotic symptoms, finds a major review of international evidence led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

24 Sep 2025

Study in Florida finds racial disparities in heart attack treatment

While acute myocardial infarction - commonly referred to as a heart attack - remains a leading cause of death in the United States, deaths have decreased significantly over the past two decades in part due to improved treatment methods, according to Charleen Hsuan, associate professor of health policy and administration at Penn State.

19 Sep 2025

Real-time blood testing shows promise for preventing maternal deaths from hemorrhage

Postpartum hemorrhage, severe bleeding after childbirth, is a leading cause of maternal mortality around the world.

18 Sep 2025

Study: Half of adults without diabetes taking weight-loss drug discontinue treatment within a year

The new class of anti-obesity drugs, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), is proving remarkably effective at helping individuals lose weight.

15 Sep 2025

Living in food deserts linked to higher stroke and death risk in atrial fibrillation patients

Patients with atrial fibrillation who live in neighborhoods with poor access to full-service grocery stores face sharply higher odds of stroke and death, according to a new study from Tulane University.

3 Sep 2025

Faster progression to severe diabetes observed in people with learning disabilities

People with learning disabilities progress faster to severe type 2 diabetes and are at greater risk of dying from their condition than people without these disabilities, suggests research published in the open access journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Control.

2 Sep 2025

How well does a cesarean risk calculator work?

Validated cesarean prediction tool effectively assesses delivery risks, supporting clinicians and patients in making informed decisions about labor induction.

29 Aug 2025

Cardiovascular outcomes worsen in patients with mental health conditions

Every 34 seconds, someone in the United States dies from heart disease. As nearly half of the country suffers from some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD), another 1 in 4 adults experience a mental health disorder in their lifetime, signaling an inevitable overlap.

28 Aug 2025

Blue states that sued kept most CDC grants, while red states feel brunt of Trump clawbacks

The Trump administration's cuts to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding for state and local health departments had vastly uneven effects depending on the political leanings of a state, according to a KFF Health News analysis.

26 Aug 2025

Working-age adults with disabilities face much higher rates of loneliness

Working-age adults with disabilities experience far higher rates of loneliness than those without, according to a new study from researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health and the Warren Alpert Medical School.

22 Aug 2025

Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program boosts food security and diet but benefits fade when funding ends

A lottery-based cohort study of Seattle’s Fresh Bucks program found that providing a $40 monthly fruit and vegetable benefit improved food security by 5.5 percentage points and increased daily produce consumption by 7.5 percentage points, while disenrollment reversed these gains. These findings highlight the potential of healthy food benefit programs to reduce nutrition-related disparities in low-income populations.

21 Aug 2025