Healthcare Disparities Archive

Aortic stenosis is the narrowing of the aortic valve in the heart, which can lead to heart failure if the problem is not identified and treated. Unfortunately, research shows that inequities exist in access to proper diagnosis and care for this condition. Understanding how stenosis is identified and treated can help you receive good care.

Concerns circulating about the effectiveness of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in American Indian/Alaskan Native communities, compared to the other available vaccines for COVID-19, have been answered by responses from medical professionals within the Indigenous population, as well as by statistics showing that all three vaccines are safe and effective in people of all races and ethnic backgrounds.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a treatable condition once considered a disease that largely affects people who are white, although in recent years it has been diagnosed more often in other racial and ethnic groups, in the US and around the world. Recognizing this condition early can make a difference in care and quality of life.

In the last decade, overall rates of colorectal cancer have been falling among the general population in the US. However, African Americans are more likely to develop colorectal cancer at younger ages, and to die from it. The reasons for this disparity are unclear, but they are rooted in socioeconomic and racial inequities.

Kidney disease requiring dialysis or transplant is far more common among African Americans than among white Americans, but genetics and biology play only a small role in this excess risk; the difference is linked to social and economic injustice rooted in systemic racism, and all the added burdens associated with it.

The scope of the opioid crisis in the US has led some communities to revise their view of substance use disorders. One idea is creating supervised injection facilities that would provide a safe environment and make treatment resources available.