Great Plastic Surgeons

Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery Articles

Minority Dicrepancies

The issue of minority healthcare in the country is one that needs immediate attention. Why is it that ethnic minorities get the short end of the stick when it comes to healthcare? Leaders in the field got together to discuss the findings of the latest research released today by the American Heart Association.

In New York today, a group of researchers gathered to raise awareness of the almost endless list of inequities in minority healthcare, especially when it comes to cardiovascular disease.

Emelia Benjamin, the Associate Editor of Circulation, says, "If ethnic disparities were just a matter of overt racism then all we'd have to do is get rid of a couple of rogue physicians. But in fact, it's actually much more complex." "These disparities are very pervasive. Everywhere we looked there were disparities." says Dr. George Mensah who is with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

His study showed that blacks had a much shorter life expectancy overall, by 5.5 years compared to whites. Many premature deaths are due to cardiovascular disease. "Hispanics also had the highest prevalence of self-reported poor or fair health. This we thought was very important." says Dr. Mensah.

One Columbia University researcher found that knowledge about stroke warning signs remains very low among minority women. "African-American women in particular have 1.5 times the mortality rate from stroke than white women." states Dr. Anjanette Ferris.

Other research found that blacks suffering from lack of blood flow to the heart because of blockages in the arteries, are less likely to get the newest and highly effective treatments, including drugs like Plavix. Dr. Ali Sonel of the University of Pittsburgh says, "They were more likely to have high blood pressure at presentation, they were more likely to have heart failure and they were more likely to have renal failure, kidney failure or diabetes." And another study presented showed that only about one-third of cardiologists think the racial and ethic disparities in care truly occurs, in spite of proof it does.

Among those who agree it exists, many believe that the disparities in minority healthcare are someone else's problem, not an issue in their practice or at their hospital. But this isn't just talk; there is a call for significant action, like genetic-based studies that would identify populations at high risk for heart disease and stroke. "There is still along way to go when it comes to minority healthcare. That's why we're here to try to get this message out." says Dr. Ferris.

For more information on Minority healthcare, Click here.

Related Stories