What happens in a state where half of people are Latino, but only 5% of doctors are? It means not enough doctors with the cultural competency and understanding of the Latino community to adequately serve them—like in California right now. That is why the Latino Physicians of California professional group and others are urging increased representation of Latinos in the medical field, according to California Healthline. Complicating matters is that, in California: Latinos represent only 8% of nurses;
Latino represent only 4% of pharmacists;
More than one-third of current doctors are expected to retire within 10 years; and
Latinos make up a small percentage of graduating medical students. “If we are going to properly serve our current and future patient base, we ...
The human gut is a complex environment called a "microbiome." It is home to billions of bacteria and other microbes that help digest food. Research now shows that the gut might play a role in development of type 2 diabetes, which afflicts Latinos at a 66% higher rate than Whites. Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine have received a five-year, nearly $4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study if altering the gut microbiomes of Latinos can impact the treatment and prevention of diabetes, Yahoo! News reports. The human gut microbiome represents a promising target for dietary changes and treatments aimed at combating type 2 diabetes—particularly in the Latino Latino population that disproportionately develops the disease, said Dr. Robert ...
When it comes to smoking, there's good and bad news for Latinos. The good: Researchers have long known that Latinos adults overall are less likely to smoke cigarettes than their white or black peers. The bad: New data now shows that one particular group of U.S. Latinos is more likely than all others to smoke. Nearly 29% of Puerto Ricans smoke cigarettes compared to 20% of Cuban Americans and 19% of Mexican Americans, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Heart Association reports. In Puerto Rico, smoking rates are much lower than in the U.S. Only 11% of all Puerto Ricans on the island smoke. Of the 5.4 million Puerto Ricans living stateside, many live in poor-quality housing and have low-income jobs. “Financial and ...
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 ...
Mental health inequities are a key problem that many Latinos face in their overall health care. In California (38.18% Latino population), steps have been taken to help alleviate some of these problems with the passing of a new law that will take effect on January 1, 2017. In past years, many health centers in rural parts of the state were unable to bill Medi-Cal, the government health program for low-income Californians, for services; the new law reverses that decision. Without proper treatment, mental health conditions can worsen and make day-to-day life hard. Latinos are less likely to seek mental health treatment. A 2001 Surgeon General’s report found that only 20% of Latinos with symptoms of a psychological disorder talk to a doctor about their concerns. Only 10% contact a mental ...
Culture and language are two reasons many Latinas don't always get timely and appropriate treatment for breast cancer. Breast cancer is the No. 1 killer of Latinas. The Metastatic Breast Cancer Network (MBCN) is hoping to alleviate some of the barriers to timely treatment through a series of informational materials in both English and Spanish. The MBCN has created several informational resources for individuals coping with Stage IV breast cancer: Conozca los datos
Diagóstico: Cáncer de mama metastásico… ¿Qué significa para usted?
La serie sobre el cáncer de mama metastásico: Guía para nuevas pacientes "Being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer can often be a frightening or overwhelming for many women," according to the MBCN. "This type of diagnosis can be ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
