Posted by James
INTRODUCTION
Asthma is a chronic disease that can be managed with appropriate medication and education. Some disparities in prevalence and related morbidity have been identified among minority populations, particularly children. For example, Puerto Rican children have been documented to have higher prevalence rates of asthma compared to African Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Specifically, data from the National Health Interview Survey found that 83% of Puerto Rican children who reported wheezing in the past year were diagnosed with asthma compared to 71% of African American and 57% of non-Hispanic white children. While asthma prevalence among Hispanic adults in 2002 was lower than among non-Hispanic white adults (5% compared to 7.6%, respectively), prevalence in Puerto Rico was higher than in the 50 United States, and U.S. territories. A study by Ledogar et al. also found that Puerto Ricans had higher rates of asthma than other Hispanic subgroups. Similarly, Puerto Ricans had higher asthma mortality rates compared to African Americans and non-Hispanic whites (40.9 per million, 38.1 per million, and 14.7 per million, respectively. Puerto Ricans also had higher asthma mortality rates than other Hispanic subgroups. Hispanic adults with asthma were more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to present to the emergency room (26%) and 14.5%>, respectively), to have asthma-related urgent care visits (36.9% and 25.8%), to have sleep difficulty (64.7% and 47.4) and to have activity limitations (40.4 and 23.6).
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by James
We found that African-American women possess the same histological types of breast cancer, in similar locations in the breast, and have the same left/right breast distribution as Caucasian Americans. However, as with previous research in this area, our results found that African-American race is a predictor of advanced breast cancer stage at diagnosis. In addition, similar to Lannin et al., controlling for Medicaid insurance did not explain all of the racial variation in breast cancer stage. However, different from previous studies, we found no difference between the races for AJCC stage-4 breast cancer.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by James
Five-thousand, seven-hundred-fifty-one patients (5,119 Caucasians, 632 African Americans) were eligible to be included in the study. There was no significant difference for menopausal status, topography, morphology and laterality of their breast cancers. African Americans were significantly younger, with a younger onset of menopause, less family history of breast cancer, fewer positive estrogen and progesterone receptors, more cigarette smokers, more Medicaid insured and more single and divorced individuals compared to Caucasians Americans (Table 1, p O.05). Multivariate analysis found no difference between the races for stage 0, stage 2 and stage 4 (Table 2). African Americans had significantly less stage-1 breast cancer (RR 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.96), less combined stage 0 and 1 (RR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63-0.89) and more combined stage-3 (RR 1.50 95% CI: 1.11-2.01).
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by James
We conducted a retrospective cohort study. Inclusion required a diagnosis of breast cancer, and it reported to the TriHealth tumor registry from 1991-2003. There are three TriHealth hospitals in Cincinnati, OH. This is the largest tumor registry in this geographical area. This region is approximately 89% Caucasian and 11% African-American. TriHealth dedicates a full-time nurse whose exclusive responsibility is the oversight of the tumor registry data. This nurse collects data from the patient, their chart and the treating physician. Patients are followed over time for the purposes of prognosis. For each patient, we collected data on race; AJCC stage at diagnosis; and 12 potential confounding variables, including topography, morphology, laterality, age, menopausal age, smoking status, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, marital status, menopausal status, family history of breast cancer in a first-degree relative and insurance status. Due to small number of patients in some stages, AJCC breast cancer stages 0 and 1 were analyzed as separate and combined stages, and stages 2A and 2B, and stages ЗА, 3B and 3C were collapsed in the analysis into stages 2 and 3, respectively. Use of the AJCC stage for research purposes has been utilized by previous authors. Races other than Caucasian and African-American were excluded due to small numbers (N=60).
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by James
INTRODUCTION
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. It is diagnosed in approximately 240,000 women and kills an estimated 40,000 women each year. It is suspected that as the baby boomer population ages the absolute number of women diagnosed will rise by one-third over the next 20 years, increasing the number to 320,000 females diagnosed annually. The peak age of diagnosis is 45-65 years, with approximately 77% occurring in females age >50. Though screening recommendations vary among organizations, American Cancer Society guidelines for breast cancer screening consist of optional monthly self-breast exams starting at age 20, and clinical breast exams every 2-3 years until the age of 40, then annually. Yearly mammograms are initiated at the age of 40 as well, or earlier, based on preexisting risk factors. Multiple risk factors for breast cancer have been identified including: increasing age, presence in a first-degree relative, early menarche, nulliparity, delayed first pregnancy, prior personal history of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, abnormal breast biopsy, exogenous estrogen use, radiation exposure, geographical influence, diet and white race.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by James
Based upon literature findings, African Americans are associated with a high prevalence of dementia, yet they are less likely to be reported and diagnosed appropriately according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Our findings suggested a similar pattern that nonwhite patients are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia/AD, but the association was not significant.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by James
A total of 25,561 patient visit records of individu als over the age of 60 were included in the study population from NAMCS 2000-2002, which based on patient visit weights represented a national sample of 768 million office visits made to stand-alone, private physicians’ clinics by the elderly. The mean age associated with this population was 73.4 ±8.0 years. As shown from the study demographics in Table 1, the majority of the patient visit records were from white (89.2%) and female patients (59.1%). Public insurance, i.e., Medicare or Medicaid (67.3%), was the predominant form of insurance among the study population. Additionally, about one-third of the patient visit records were from physician practices located in the south (31.7%) and most of them were in a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) (81.5%).
Read the rest of this entry »
