Minority Health Issues

It’s always interesting to note what the health trends are in America. For the most part, most of us feel only good trends will be seen, as don’t we live in the richest nation on Earth? But that is not true, especially for the poor, ethnic groups, or the young. Witness the statistics from a very recent report from the CDC cited below .

FETAL AND PERINATAL MORTALITY

By the year 2000 Hispanics/Latinos numbered about 32.5 million and comprised 11.8% of the population. (1) By 2050, Hispanics/Latinos will represent almost a quarter of the country’s population (98.2 million). Therefore, it is important to study the health concerns of this large segment of the American population.

Comparing the health profile of Hispanic people to that of the general U.S. population reveals numerous disparities. Disproportionate numbers of adult Hispanics suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, and obesity. Children of Mexican descent are at special risk for growth deficiency and related problems.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that one-quarter of people in the United States living with HIV do not know that they are infected with the virus. This fact -- coupled with stigma and discrimination, misconceptions about the disease, inadequate healthcare and language barriers -- underscores the need to encourage Latinos to become educated about HIV/AIDS and to get tested regularly.

The First Lady, Laura Bush, has made one of her crusades stamping out Malaria. With nets for protection from Malaria, deaths have decreased by 44% among the children who are the most vulnerable to the mosquitoes bite. Prior to nets, approximately 36,000 children under 5 years old, died annually from Malaria

Nets have been used for a long time, as they are the most effective method to reduce Malaria in mosquito infested country-sides. However, the difference between then and now, is that nets are now given away free. In the past, there was a cost associated with the nets. To a poor farmer, the one who needs protection the most, even 10 cents is too much money to spend, when one doesn’t have food.

African Americans are disproportionately affected by kidney failure due in part to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure -- the two leading causes of kidney failure.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are all too common among African Americans, yet many are unaware of their risk factors and the importance of getting tested.

Several steps are outlined to protect one's kidneys. These include:

HIV: The exact origin of the virus in humans is unclear. Scientists surmise that it jumped from an animal population, probably African monkeys or chimpanzees, to humans via a bite or meat. The first case documented in humans dates from 1959. The virus was isolated by Luc Montagnier of France's Pasteur Institute in 1983. It went through several name changes before the official name, human immunodeficiency virus, was agreed upon.

The No Child Left Behind Act is continuously making news for all of the myriad problems associated with this program. However, several hundred children in the Chicago area owe their success as adults to this Federal Law.

No Child Left Behind Act was responsible for funding an early intensive childhood education program. The program started at 3 years old, and went through 3rd grade. Head Start is not a part of this program.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received permission from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to provide intravenous artesunate for emergency use in the United States for persons with severe malaria. Artesunate, a derivative from the "quing hao" or sweet wormwood plant, has been used worldwide for more than 20 years for the treatment of malaria. HHS/FDA has not approved artesunate for marketing in this country. CDC′s investigational new drug application limits the use of artesunate to the emergency treatment of severe malaria, and the drug can be provided only through CDC.

Who Is At Risk for Metabolic Syndrome?

You’re at greatest risk for metabolic syndrome if you have these underlying causes:

• A large waistline (abdominal obesity)
• Lack of physical activity
• Insulin resistance

Some people are at risk for metabolic syndrome because the medicines they take may cause weight gain or changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. These medicines are most often used for inflammation, allergies, HIV, and depression and other kinds of mental illnesses.

Crystal methamphetamine use among young adults in the United States is considerably higher than previous surveys indicate, according to new research funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study, published in the July issue of the journal "Addiction", found 2.8 percent of young adults (ages 18-26) reported use of crystal methamphetamine in the past year during 2001-2002. Annual prevalence of crystal methamphetamine use by young adults (ages 19-28) was measured at 1.5 percent by NIDA's 2004 Monitoring the Future Survey; however this most recent data analysis suggests use rates are even higher.