Living with a cognitive disease is difficult because of how it impacts you and those around you. It can create a stigma, which prevents people from seeking help. This stigma can be worse for Latinos, who face cultural barriers and are often affected by these disorders at a high rate. That’s why physicians like Dr. Gus Alva are trying to help Latinos heal from diseases like Parkinson’s. He teamed up with Acadia Pharmaceuticals and StoryCorps nonprofit for the “Yours, Truly” campaign, a bilingual effort to use multicultural storytelling to bring awareness to the non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. “This campaign is quite important because it really lends to the public an opportunity of being able through storytelling to convey some very important information ...
Omega 3 fatty acids are essential nutrients. Studies show omega 3 fish oil—which contains both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid—may help lower blood pressure, slow the development of plaque in the arteries, and reduce the likelihood of heart attack and stroke. With the rising popularity of omega 3 fish oil supplements, researchers are conducting clinical trials to test their benefits for other health issues. This is why Dr. Andrew Brenner and his team at UT Health San Antonio are seeking volunteers for his clinical trial to explore of how omega 3 fatty acids can impact postmenopausal breast cancer patients. “Fish oil supplements with omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to stop or slow down the growth and development of breast cancer cells in ...
Declining kidney function is strongly linked to dementia, according to a 10-year study of older adults. This has negative implications for Latinos, who are not only at a high risk for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, but also for chronic kidney disease (CKD). “The kidneys and the brain, both being end organs, are thought to be susceptible to vascular damage due to similar anatomic and hemodynamic features,” according to the researchers. Learn more about what the study found on the link between poor kidney function and dementia, why Latinos are disproportionately affected by these diseases, and how we can help further the research of Latino chronic disease through clinical trials.
What Did the Study Find on Kidney Function and Dementia?
Researchers from the University ...
A San Antonio woman in her 70s underwent South Texas’ first deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Alzheimer’s — one of the first 300 surgeries of its kind in the world — at University Hospital on Nov. 5, 2021. UT Health San Antonio and clinical partner University Health are among 27 clinical trial sites worldwide evaluating the effectiveness of the DBS technique in a clinical trial to treat patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease. DBS is an established, nonpharmaceutical treatment that researchers hope could slow or even halt the progress of this devastating disease. Dr. Alexander Papanastassiou, associate professor of neurosurgery at UT Health San Antonio who sees University Health patients, implanted DBS electrodes during the operation. The surgery is minimally ...
Want to play memory and thinking tests and help millions of families with dementia? The Brain Health Registry can help you do that. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) developed a registry for adults interested in conducting brain tests that can help the future creation of treatments for Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other brain disorders. Now, they’re partnering with the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio to expand brain health research in the Texas region of the United States, through a partnership called STOP-AD. Learn about the STOP-AD Brain Health Registry, how Alzheimer’s is affecting Latinos, and how clinical trials can help us tackle Alzheimer’s and other ...
Cancer survivors face the possibility that cancer will come back after treatment. Clinical trials are studies that help researchers learn more to help slow, manage, and treat cancer, as well as prevent cancer recurrence. If you have had bladder cancer, you can volunteer for a bladder cancer prevention clinical trial that is studying encapsulated rapamycin (eRapa) and its ability to reduce the risk of bladder cancer recurrence. This trial is led by researchers across Texas, including UT Health San Antonio, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and South Texas Veterans Health Care System, to explore new ways to prevent bladder cancer from coming back. “Unfortunately, people who’ve had bladder cancer have a high risk of developing a second bladder cancer,” said Dr. Amelie ...
Cancer and Alzheimer’s hurt many of our abuelos, moms, dads, and others we love. Clinical trials help us fight for our familia. Clinical trials are studies that help researchers learn more to help slow, manage, and treat Alzheimer’s and cancer for current and future family members. But without Latino volunteers for clinical trials, the benefits may miss this group. Visit our clinical trials page to find a clinical trial, read about hero volunteers, and more! Share your story with us! “Latinos in clinical trials are not only helping themselves, but they’re also building a future with better treatments that can help their families in the future,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research and Salud America! at UT Health San ...
When it comes to triple negative breast cancer, Ricki Fairley is a veteran on the battlefield. “I am a 10-year survivor of triple negative breast cancer. My doctor gave me two years to live, and I'm on 10,” Fairley said. Fairley is the CEO and co-founder of TOUCH—the Black Breast Cancer Alliance. She is determined to diversify clinical trials, which can help find better therapies for Black, Latino, and other people of color. “I'm really on a path, a mission to eradicate Black breast cancer and really change the game on how we talk to Black women about clinical trials. And right now, we only have 3% participation in clinical trials. So, the drugs that are currently on the market and the ...
Each year, more than 14,000 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States. This cancer is especially hurting communities of color, with Latinas at a high risk of a diagnosis. But cervical cancer is preventable. Stopping cervical cancer for Latinas and all communities means equitable education about the causes, prevention, and treatment of HPV and cervical cancer. Join #SaludTues at 1 p.m. EST on Jan. 4, 2022, to tweet about how we can stop cervical cancer in celebration of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January. WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat: “What Can We Do to Stop Cervical Cancer?”
DATE: Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022
TIME: 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST (10:00-11:00 p.m. PST)
WHERE: On Twitter with hashtag #SaludTues
HOST: @SaludAmerica
CO-HOSTS: ...
