Articles by Pramod Sukumaran

Study: Lacking Sleep, Pregnant Latinas Face More Gestational Diabetes

September 21, 2018

We know that U.S. Latinas are 2-4 more likely to get gestational diabetes during pregnancy than non-Latinas, which is a serious threat to these women's health. But did you know sleep habits impact your risk for gestational diabetes? What can we do to help? Why is Gestational Diabetes Problematic? Gestational diabetes mellitus is a serious health challenge for pregnant women. It increases risk for caesarean birth and hypertensive disorders. It also can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery. Still, careful management to maintain normal blood glucose levels can mitigate some of these risks. How Does Sleep Impact Gestational Diabetes? Women who average less than 6 hours sleep a night had a 1.7-fold increase in the risk of being diagnosed with ...

More Latinos Desperately Needed for Clinical Trials

September 11, 2018

For years, studies have shown that Latinos have a profound mistrust of doctors and scientists. Consequently, Latinos participate in clinical trials at far lower rates than other ethnic groups, which perpetuates the health disparities seen with many diseases like Alzheimer’s and certain cancers. This also makes it harder for researchers to find treatments that work best for Latinos. Minorities actually represent less than 30% of those enrolled in clinical trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to a recent report. Latinos comprised less than 7.6% of trial participants. “There hasn’t been a single [prostate] screening trial including a significant number of Latinos or blacks … yet it impacts our practice and we have no data to know if it ...

Houston Doctor Starts Unique Clinic to Help Young Adults with Diabetes

September 7, 2018

Latino youth are facing a rising diabetes crisis. Many lack support needed to manage their disease. That's why Dr. Siripoom McKay of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital helped create the Young Adult Diabetes Clinic to provide a medical home for diabetes management and support for Latino and all young adults. The program helps young adults ages 17-26 who may have been relying on parents for practical things like picking up their medication, setting appointments, and dealing with insurance. Young adults get connected to a physician, dietician, psychologist, social worker, and diabetes educator without parents to make sure they’re ready to go off on their own. This makes a smooth transition as they go out on their own and manage the chronic illness like ...

Diabetes After Age 50? It May Be an Early Sign of Pancreatic Cancer in Latinos

August 24, 2018

nurse with hispanic latino older couple diabetes pancreatic cancer patient coronavirus covid-19

Late onset diabetes may be a sign of pancreatic cancer in Latinos and African-Americans, according to a new study. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, linked recent-onset diabetes with a 2.3-fold greater increase in risk of pancreatic cancer than long-standing diabetes. Latinos have higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and pancreatic cancer than their peers. Study Results & Implications Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers. It has a five-year survival rate of only 8%. This is because eight in 10 pancreatic cancer patients get diagnosed at a late stage. Most diabetes patients with pancreatic cancer are diagnosed with diabetes less than three years before the cancer diagnosis. Among pancreatic cancer patients undergoing ...

The Outside-the-Box Fix for Denver’s Affordable Housing Crisis

August 17, 2018

Denver's lack of affordable housing is reaching crisis level. Teachers, police officers, and health care workers were getting "priced out of a city with a glut of quality housing, something many U.S. communities experience today," Next City reports. A group of finance and equity specialists, deal-makers, and policy folks wanted to help. They created a first-of-its-kind initiative called LIVE Denver (Lower Income Voucher Equity). The program, with $1.2 million in city funding, will bring hundreds of 21,000 brand-new, vacant apartment units within financial reach of severely rent-burdened families. Will it help solve the affordable housing crisis in Denver and elsewhere? Affordable Housing and Health Access to affordable, safe housing is a priority for maintaining good ...

Nurses Visit Homes to Help First-Time Moms Create Healthy Kids, Families

August 10, 2018

Sylvia Lopez of the Nurse-Family Partnership in San Antonio.

Sylvia Lopez knows low-income mothers need lots of support in South Texas and San Antonio. Lopez knows the research that shows Latino kids start kindergarten behind their peers, experience many childhood traumas, and are at risk of not getting the proper care, services, and environment they need for healthy formative development. That's why Lopez is connecting in-need pregnant women to home visits from nurses to ensure healthier pregnancies, families, and children, through a South Texas application of a national program—the Nurse-Family Partnership. See how the program works and how it's helping South Texas moms, children, and families! The National Nurse-Family Partnership The Nurse-Family Partnership got its start in the 1970s. David Olds, who had just graduated from ...

#SaludTues Tweetchat 8/14: Tackling the Latino Alzheimer’s Crisis

August 8, 2018

Did you know one new case of Alzheimer’s disease occurs every 65 seconds in the United States? Sadly, U.S. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than whites, studies show. Alcohol, sleep deprivation, and diabetes play a role. This can stress Latino family caregivers. Preventing Alzheimer’s is critical as the young Latino population ages. Let’s use #SaludTues on Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018, to tweet about the latest research and beneficial strategies and programs to prevent and reduce Alzheimer's Disease among Latinos and all people! WHAT: #SaludTues Bilingual Tweetchat─Tackling the Latino Alzheimer's Crisis TIME/DATE: 1-2 p.m. ET (Noon-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018 WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues HOST: @SaludAmerica ...

Report: Kentucky 1st U.S. State to Require Hepatitis C Testing for Pregnant Women

August 1, 2018

Kentucky is now the nation's first state to require pregnant women to get tested for the hepatitis C virus, which can easily spread from mother to child and can cause liver problems, WDRB.com reports. The new law is a respond to the rampant rise of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Kentucky and across the country, especially among Latinos. Health experts support the new law, effective July 2018. It costs money to do the testing—about $240 to $310 per test—but that's little compared to the $800,000 cost of a liver transplant, Dr. Claudia Espinosa, a pediatrician at University of Louisville, told the courier-journal.com. "If we can save one person from liver transplant and cirrhosis, it will save a lot of money, and prevent a lot of suffering," Espinosa said. HCV Rates Are ...

Helping Latinos with Affordable Housing

July 26, 2018

What does it take to help Latinos access below-market-rate housing in San Francisco's Mission District, a traditionally Latino neighborhood that has seen 8,000 Latinos displaced by high-cost housing since 2000? Collaboration. The Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) is teaming up with more than a half-dozen Latino-focused community groups—like Faith in Action, Instituto Familiar de la Raza, and Mission Neighborhood Health Center—to foster education and action around below-market-rate apartment options. They also work with partners to create new affordable housing properties. They also have programs to help Latinos save their homes from foreclosure. The end goal: increase the number of Latinos who successfully obtain affordable housing units. "We have a strong sense of ...

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Pramod Sukumaran

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