More than 100,000 people are waiting for a life-changing organ transplant in the US, according to the American Heart Association. The stark reality is that nearly 23% of those on the transplant candidate waiting list are Latino — that’s one out of every five people. In fact, 59% of all transplant candidates on the waiting list are Black, Latino, or Asian. These populations are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases, leading to the need for a transplant. In 2023, Latinos received 8,540 of the over 46,000 transplants performed, including 580 hearts, according to the American Heart Association. Despite the number of transplants performed and Latinos on the waiting list, organ donation remains low in the Latino community.
Latino Organ ...
For the last several years, the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) All of Us Research Program has endeavored to collect the health data of over 1 million Americans to ensure healthcare works for all of us. Are they close to 1 million participants? How has it helped boost research? Let’s look at five notable milestones the program has reached in its mission to build a health data network that looks like all of us. 1. Increasing the Diversity of Research Participation With help from local community partnerships, including UT Health San Antonio, across the country, over 790,000 people nationwide have decided to join the program’s expansive and inclusive research network, the program announced in a recent news release. In addition, over 540,000 ...
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Tony Rentas dreamed of joining the U.S. military. He wanted to serve his country, set a good example for his son, and make sure his family was taken care of. In 2009, he joined the U.S. Army, making his dream a reality. Tony served as a military intelligence specialist. Over a dozen years, he deployed twice, traveled around the world, made great friends, experienced different cultures, helped people, and provided for his family. Then he got some harrowing news. After suffering a temporal lobe seizure, Tony – a husband and father of two children –was diagnosed with a low grade glioma, a type of cancerous brain tumor, in June 2020. “I remember walking out of that appointment, sitting in the car, just trying to process things. A couple of tears ...
How often do you think about your brain health? We can maintain our brain health with everything from exercise to quality sleep, but conditions such as brain tumors can affect the brain and disrupt our lives. For Brain Tumor Awareness Month in May, Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is partnering with the Low Grade Glioma Registry to raise awareness of brain tumors, real people with brain tumors, quality of life, and caregiving among the Latino population. Follow along for a month of amazing content!
7 Things You Should Know About Brain Tumors
About 90,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor every year? For ourselves, our familia, and our comunidad, we should know a few important things about brain tumors so we can help all those impacted by a tumor ...
Sit down and buckle up because the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program could be pulling into a town near you!
On April 16, 2024, the All of Us Research Program announced its annual nationwide tour focused on engaging historically underrepresented communities in medical research, according to a recent news release.
The national mobile tour, dubbed “the All of Us Journey,” kicked off its route with stops on the East Coast in Ohio before eventually making its way to the New York area in early May.
Other East Coast stops include Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia along with first-time destinations of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island.
The program plans to visit more than 80 communities, including central regions like Texas, Colorado, and New ...
Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that impairs brain function and, over time, can cause memory, cognitive, and behavioral issues and eventually lead to death.
The condition greatly impacts the health of the aging — especially Latinos.
14% of the American Latino population older than 65 are living with Alzheimer’s, compared with 10% of the White population.
Alzheimer’s is projected to increase in older Latinos by 175% between 2018 and 2040, compared with a 32% increase in the White population, according to a new report, 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures, from the Alzheimer’s Association.
Let’s explore the data from the report. Alzheimer’s in America
Nearly 7 million older Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease as of 2024.
That’s about the same ...
The last thing a person wants to hear from their doctor is “You have cancer.” Unfortunately, that’s the reality for the thousands of Americans, including many Latinos, diagnosed with cancer each year. After a diagnosis, people dealing with cancer discuss treatment options with their medical care team, which may include participation in clinical trials. Clinical trials are studies with volunteers that test ways to find, prevent, and treat cancer and other diseases. They may also help improve the quality of life for volunteers affected by cancer or reduce the side effects of treatment. Despite the benefits of participating in clinical trials, only about one out of every five (21.9%) people with cancer enroll in clinical research, according to a new study in the ...
Researchers at Texas Tech University are interested in learning more about you and your family caregiver's experience with cancer. The research team is seeking participation from people who are 18 or older, speak English, identify as Latino or non-Hispanic White, and have been diagnosed with any form of cancer at any stage. Caregivers who want to participate must be 18 years or older, speak English, and identify as Latino or non-Hispanic White. If you or your loved one meets these qualifications, you may be eligible to take part in this study, which consists of three different surveys. These surveys will be spaced out and take 30 to 45 minutes to complete, and can be done online, by mail, or over the phone with the help of a research assistant. The first will be given ...
Do you how cancer impacts your local population? How can you help? Find new strategies to address the local cancer burden at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “How to Identify and Equitably Respond to Local Cancer Needs,” recorded live at 10 a.m. Central on Thursday, April 25, 2024. This webinar featured experts from the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida, Genentech, as well as a patient advocate, who together explored local cancer issues. Panelists shared how to strategically listen, engage, and respond to local cancer needs to guide cancer research, care, and outreach tailored to address the needs of local communities. This is a part of a webinar series, “Let’s Address Health Equity Together.” The series is a ...
