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Cliff Despres

Cliff Despres, who has more than a decade of experience in journalism and public relations, is communications director for Salud America! and its home base, the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.

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Articles by Cliff Despres

Vote for SaludToday as Best Health Advocate


Salud America

Latinos deserve to live in a culture of health. That's why SaludToday, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, works hard to promote Latino health awareness, stories, and solutions. Today we're excited to be nominated as Best Health Advocate Reaching Latino(a)s through Through Social Media by LATISM (Latinos in Social Media). LATISM is a nonprofit that empowers Latinos through tech innovation and social media. SaludToday is nominated with two great organizations (@MinorityHealth and @CuidadodeSalud). We will present our work at #LATISM16 on Oct. 20, 2016, in Florida. Vote for us here! “We believe SaludToday is helping to influence individual and collective health knowledge, improve attitudes and promote healthy behaviors and a culture of health, which may ultimately lead to ...

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5 Perfect Tips to Stay Healthy for Dia de los Muertos, Holiday Season


latino halloween kids trick holiday

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are a few days away. Thanksgiving and Christmas after. Yup, holiday season is upon us. That's why, as holiday parties and performances stack up on busy calendars, pediatrician Diana Bojorquez of Kaiser Permanente has five big tips to keep Latino adults and kids healthy and happy, and lower their risk of weight gain and associated health issues. 1. Get enough sleep. It’s important for everyone to maintain a regular shut-eye schedule – sleep restores and repairs our bodies, not to mention plentiful sleep helps with weight loss and mental capacity, among other health benefits. Adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and children need more, with very young ones needing as much as 12 hours nightly. 2. Prevent illness. There are little things, ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 10/18: Latinos and Diabetes


Latina running exercise

U.S. Latinos have high risk of pre-diabetes, diabetes, and diabetic eye disease. But why? What can we do to stop it from happening? Let’s use #SaludTues to tweet in English and Spanish information, resources, and tips that can empower Latinos to prevent, reduce, and manage diabetes: WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: Diabetes & Latinos TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues LANGUAGE: English and Spanish HOST: @SaludToday CO-HOSTS: Vida Saludable by the American Heart Association (@AHA_Vida) and Ventanilla de Salud in Washington, D.C. (@VDSalud_DC) We’ll open the floor to your stories and experiences as we explore: Why is knowing about diabetes important for Latinos? What are the ...

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New App Will Help Breast Cancer Patients Stick to Therapy


latina breast cancer pink

San Antonio researchers are developing a bilingual, culturally relevant phone app and navigation services to help local breast cancer patients stick with their prescribed therapy. The one-year, $200,000 study, led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and funded by Susan G. Komen, will recruit 120 breast cancer patients at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center who are receiving endocrine hormonal therapy. Endocrine hormonal therapy is the most widely prescribed treatment for about three-fourths of all breast cancer cases. Many patients fail to take their medication as prescribed, and face higher risk of cancer recurrence. For the study, half the women will get access to the app and a patient navigator, who would help with ...

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Report: Latinos Especially Hard-Hit by Climate Change


climate change pollution latino

U.S. Latinos are especially vulnerable to health threats posed by climate change because of where they live, work and lack access to health care, according to a new report. The report, led by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), is an English and Spanish review of dozens of U.S. studies and reports on the health and economic impacts that Latinos face as a result of climate change. Results include: A majority live in California, Texas, Florida and New York, states that are among the most affected by extreme heat, air pollution, and flooding. Latinos are heavily represented in crop and livestock production and construction, where they’re at elevated risk from climate-change-boosted extreme heat. They are three times more likely to die on the job from excessive heat ...

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El Compromiso de la Adolescente para con la Salud Inspira a su Familia


maryflor latina teen weight loss health

Maryflor Peña empezó a aumentar de peso cuando estaba en sexto grado. Estaba comiendo más de todo — más pasta, más panqueques, más tacos. Para el séptimo grado, había aumentado 65 libras. Los exámenes de un chequeo médico indicaron que el cuerpo de la niña de 12 años padecía de presión arterial alta, colesterol alto y un hígado graso — condiciones comunes en niños y adultos que tienen sobrepeso o son obesos. Un especialista en pediatría le dijo a Maryflor y a sus papás que los dados ya estaban echados: Maryflor tenía que empezar a comer saludablemente y hacer ejercicio o estaría condenada a un futuro de enfermedad de corazón y diabetes. Para ayudar a su hija, Ana Villalva y Marco Antonio Peña pidieron el apoyo de sus otros cinco hijos. Todos los miembros de la ...

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Which Latinos Are at Highest Risk of Diabetes and Obesity? Puerto Ricans? Mexicans? Cubans?


population of united states

Research has long shown that U.S. Latinos face higher rates of diabetes and obesity. But are there differences among Mexicans? Cubans? Puerto Ricans? The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL), the first long-term study to look exclusively at the health of Latinos, is studying heart disease, obesity, and diabetes among a cohort of more than 16,000 U.S. Latino adults of Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican, South American and Central American heritage in the Bronx, Chicago, San Diego and Miami areas, the American Heart Association (AHA) reports. For diabetes, a study of this cohort found that adults of South American heritage have the lowest rate of diabetes. Only about 10 percent of them have diabetes compared with about 18 percent of persons of ...

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Making Awesome Changes: Tips for a Health Revolution


making awesome changes

How can busy families stay healthy? Dr. Amelie Ramirez, a San Antonio health expert and leader of SaludToday, said it's going to take individual and systemic change. For systems, that means more local farmer's markets. Healthier cafeteria food. More physical activity programs during school, and opening playgrounds to families after school. For people, that means staying away from the middle aisles at the grocery store, where junk food is prevalent. Parents making healthy meals with kids. Make a game of reading food labels. Limiting screen time. More outdoor play time. Ramirez was featured this week on the Making Awesome Changes TV series, which partners San Antonio's KSAT-TV and Salud America! to feature people pushing for healthy changes. Salud America!, a Latino ...

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Food Fight: Cookbook Aims to Prevent Cancer with Unique Recipes


cinnamon apples dessert recipe

The food you eat influences your cancer risk. The new Rx Cookbook: Cancer-Fighting Recipes, Restaurants & Markets aims to help people reduce their cancer risk with recipes based on an anti-inflammatory diet, developed by a chef and researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Inflammation is the process your body uses to protect itself in response to infection or injury, adding nourishment or immune activity. When inflammation is chronic or unresolved, it can increase cancer risk. The Rx for Better Breast Health study, led by Drs. Amelie G. Ramirez, Michael Wargovich, and Rong Li, gave local breast cancer survivors cooking classes, counseling, and biomarker assessments to test the effects of an anti-inflammatory diet on preventing cancer ...

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