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Pramod Sukumaran

Sukumaran completed a PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology and an MPH in Population Health Analytics. He curates content for Salud America! on family support and health projects at the Institute for Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio. His emphases is on the latest research, reports and resources related to various disease and policies, to improve Latino health.

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Articles by Pramod Sukumaran

Study: Lack of Sleep May Boost Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease


hispanic sleeping lady tired clock

If you don't get enough sleep, you run a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, anxiety, and depression. Now lack of sleep is being tied to Alzheimer’s disease, too. Losing just one night of sleep led to an immediate increase in beta-amyloid, a protein in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Beta amyloid forms the main component of the amyloid plaques found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patient. It harms communication between neurons. A separate study also recently found that sleep deprivation impacts the beta-amyloid burden in regions of the brain implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. This situation also resulted in ...

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How to Ease Stress for Latino Caregivers of Family with Alzheimer’s Disease


Alzheimer's caregiver

In Latino culture, family is the heart and children are expected to be caregivers for their aging parents. 1 in every 3 U.S. Latino households has at least one family caregiver. These Latino caregivers—mainly women in their 40s—juggle multiple jobs or leave the workforce entirely to enter the respectable but high-stress role of taking care of aging family members, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and other age-related mental health issues. Latino caregivers of Alzheimer’s Disease patients deal with high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms, studies show. "Too often, Latino caregivers do not know where to turn for guidance, relief, and support for their caregiving activities," according to a recent report from the National Hispanic ...

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Report: Every 65 Seconds, Someone Develops Alzheimer’s Disease


Report: Every 65 Seconds, Someone Develops Alzheimer’s Disease- getting involved

More than 5.7 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, a number expected to rise to 14 million by 2050, according to a March 2018 report by the Alzheimer’s Association. There is one new Alzheimer’s case every 65 seconds. Sadly, U.S. Latinos are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than whites, studies show. Preventing Alzheimer’s is critical as the young Latino population ages. “The number of Hispanic elders with Alzheimer's and related dementias could increase more than six-fold, from fewer than 200,000 today to as many as 1.3 million by 2050,” according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Alzheimer’s Disease in Latinos In the U.S., two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients are women. Latinas are at higher risk than ...

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Report: Low-Income Latina and Women of Color Face Highest Risk of Eviction


Sad evicted mother with child worried relocating house

Latina and black women who are living in poverty face much higher risk of eviction than other racial groups, according to a new report. The new report, from Princeton University’s Eviction Lab, examined court records and found that 2.3 million people were evicted from their homes in 2016. That’s 6,300 people evicted each day. “[The data] demonstrate widespread housing insecurity in both urban and rural locales around the country,” wrote Catherine Lizette Gonzalez of Colorlines. Latinos and Risk of Eviction Other recent studies from the Eviction Lab and researcher Matthew Desmond have found that Black and Latino women with low-incomes were evicted at alarmingly higher rates than other racial groups due to factors such as having children, low wages ...

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FDA Plans Crackdown on JUUL ‘Flash Drive’ E-Cigarettes


FDA Plans Crackdown on JUUL ‘Flash Drive’ E-Cigarettes

The FDA is making a series of new enforcement and regulatory steps to crack down on JUUL e-cigarettes, which is big for Latinos who are increasingly using e-cigs. JUUL e-cigs resemble a USB flash drive and come in flavors very popular among young people. A single JUUL cartridge is equal to about a pack of cigarettes, or 200 cigarette puffs. The FDA is planning or taking these actions: A national undercover blitz to crack down on the sale of e-cigs–specifically JUUL products–to minors at both brick-and-mortar and online retailers. Contacted eBay to raise concerns over several listings for JUUL products on its website. Contacted JUUL manufacturers directly to submit product marketing and research information to better understand the health implications and youth ...

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