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Prioritize Your Children’s Eye Health as the School Year Begins


Decision, glasses and girl with her mother at the optometrist for vision and check on eyes together. Customer, medical and child shopping for eyeglasses with her mom at the ophthalmologist clinic

School supplies, news clothes, and annual check-ups at the doctor are just a few things on a parent’s checklist for the start of a new school year. But don’t let one major part of a child’s health slip out of sight. Vision and eye health! Advocating for Children’s Eye Health Uncorrected vision problems can hinder child development, interfere with learning, and even lead to permanent vision loss. That is why Prevent Blindness Texas, an eye health and safety organization, is working to prevent blindness and preserve sight among children and adults by providing support and resources related eye health at all ages. “Early detection and treatment of eye problems are critical,” according to organization. To promote early detection of eye issues among children, ...

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What New Immigration and Education Policies Mean for Latino Families


Young hispanic student smiling happy wearing a backpack at the university.

Latinos have endured generations of systemic inequities due to racism and discrimination.  Over the years, institutions, structures, and policies have given rise to gaps in housing, income, education, and more, which lead to higher risk for diseases like cancer.  Even though these disparities persist, policymakers are pushing for change.   On July 17, 2024, the Biden White House announced several new policies to expand opportunities for Latino communities, including increasing access to higher education.  Let’s investigate some of these policies and how they endeavor to help Latinos.  Increasing Educational and Economic Gains Through Hispanic-Serving Institutions  More than 500 Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) that span across 27 states, the District of Columbia, ...

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Quick Test Could Improve Dementia Care Disparities



Signs of cognitive impairment and early dementia among Latinos and other people of color are often missed by healthcare providers in busy primary care settings. Now, a new test could help improve cognitive care for these patients. Recently, Dr. Joe Verghese and researchers from Albert Einstein College of Medicine created a culturally unbiased cognitive assessment tool called 5-Cog. The 5-Cog, which takes five minutes to complete, could help identify cognitive concerns and open avenues for diagnosis and treatment for dementia, according to a news release from the National Institute of Health (NIH). Let’s explore the new test and how it could benefit Latinos with dementia. How Does the 5-Cog Work? The 5-Cog test is for older adults who have concerns about their cognitive ...

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What Do Latinos Think about Preventative Care?


Doctor examining woman's neck with mole or birthmark using magnifying glass

Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death in Latinos.   Systemic racism and discrimination have led to disproportionate exposure to risk factors for cancer, such as obesity, diabetes, and stress.  These risk factors are compounded by the social and economic inequities such as access to healthy foods, transportation, and health insurance that many Latinos face, making it difficult to seek healthcare, culminating in worse health outcomes.   Another big factor is driving worse health for Latinos – a lack of preventative care.   64% of Latinos skipped recommended health screenings, such as colonoscopies, pap smears, mammograms, and more, according to a news release about the second annual Wellness Matters Survey published by Aflac.  Let’s unpack the survey ...

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Latinos Underrepresented in Clinical Trials on Chronic Pain


chronic pain

Latinos and other group that experience health disparities are frequently underrepresented in spine pain clinical trials, according to an analysis from eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The study, published by National Institute of Health and funded by the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health, found a lack of participation among racial/ethnic populations and other minority groups. Let’s look further into the data and how it impacts Latinos. Representation in Clinical Trials on Spinal Pain The analysis points out that, while RCTs are considered the gold standard study design for evaluating treatment effectiveness, they can suffer from generalizability issues. In other words, the findings of these studies can’t be generalized to the U.S. ...

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#SaludTues Tweetchat 9/3/24 — Creating Better Cancer Outcomes for Latinos


Male Nurse Talking With Female Patient In Hospital Room

Cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths for Latinos.  Cases of Latino cancer are expected to rise by 142% in the coming years.   How can we address this?  Ahead of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are bringing attention to Latino cancer care inequities. Let’s use #SaludTues on Sept. 3, 2024, to explore the racial/ethnic inequities in cancer prevention, screening, care, and treatment, as well as share ways – from clinical trial diversity to patient advocacy to survivor support – we can create better cancer outcomes for Latinos.  WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “Creating Better Cancer Outcomes for Latinos”  WHERE: Twitter/X  WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024  HOST: Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio ...

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Farmers Markets Are Essential for Local Food Systems


Michelle Greigo at the dignowity hills farmers market

Does your town have a farmers market? Farmers markets are a path to healthy food access. They are especially important amid the push for nutrition security and racial/ethnic justice. Fortunately, the Farmers Market Coalition is stepping up to support farmers markets. They’re supporting markets, creating an anti-racist toolkit, and sharing how markets increase equitable access to healthy, fresh produce and social connections, and engage farmers in the local economy. "As hubs for connection and community resilience, farmers markets have particularly risen to the occasion this year by providing a necessary sense of unity and stability during a time of great uncertainty," according to the coalition. "Farmers markets don’t just happen. The hard work of farmers market operators ...

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Many Latinos Face Inequities in Post-Stroke Care


Caregiver helping disabled older woman

An estimated 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year, amounting to one stroke every 40 seconds, according to the Stroke Awareness Foundation.   Every 4 minutes, someone dies from a stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.   Due to racial/ethnic disparities that affect many Latinos, stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death in Latino men and the third for Latina women.   Stroke is also a top cause of serious, long-term disability.  The Stroke Awareness Foundation found that within 5 years of a first stroke, 25% of survivors will face another, complicating health for more than 7 million survivors.   This makes access to care critical, especially for Latinos, who often lack health insurance.   However, Latinos were less likely than their peers to ...

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7 Cosas Que Debe Saber Acerca de los Tumores Cerebrales


Doctor comforting patient

¿Sabía que 90,000 personas son diagnosticadas cada año con un tumor cerebral de origen primario? Similarmente, más de 1.3 millones de personas en los Estados Unidos de América viven con un tumor cerebral primario o secundario/metastásico. Para nosotros mismos, nuestra familia, y nuestra comunidad, debemos saber ciertos datos importantes acerca de los tumores cerebrales para que podamos apoyar a la gente afectada por un diagnóstico de un tumor cerebral. Afortunadamente, la Asociación Estadounidense de los Tumores Cerebrales (American Brain Tumor Association o ABTA) tiene recursos extraordinarios para ayudar a la población. ¡Exploremos y aprendamos! 1. Conozca los Tipos de Tumores Cerebrales  Un tumor cerebral es un crecimiento anormal de células que se ha formado ...

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