Methane gas emissions have been on the rise over the past 15 years, according to recent numbers published by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Methane can deprive the body of oxygen and cause fatigue, dizziness, convulsions, and even death. What makes this especially bad news is that 1.81 million Latino Americans live within a half-mile of an oil and gas well, which raises their risk of methane exposure. This is why 16 members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to tighten its rules on methane emissions. “[U]nder the current proposal, operators that calculate lower potential emissions (less than 3 tons per year of methane) could still escape regular leak monitoring. This is problematic ...
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 ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio and a leading health promotiong researcher, has been selected for the 2022 AAHHE Outstanding Support Award. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments and support of the mission of the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, Inc. (AAHHE). AAHHE is an agent of change for improving education. The organization works collaboratively with all sectors — education, business, industry, community and professional organizations — to meet the educational aspirations of a significantly growing population. Ramirez received the award at the 2022 AAHHE National Conference on March 10, 2022. "It is a great honor ...
Forty years after the virus was discovered, an HIV vaccine is finally in development. Moderna and the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) are launching the first clinical trial for an HIV vaccine. “The search for an HIV vaccine has been long and challenging, and having new tools in terms of immunogens and platforms could be the key to making rapid progress toward an urgently needed, effective HIV vaccine," said Mark Feinberg, president and CEO of IAVI, according to a press release. This vaccine is particularly impactful for Latinos and other people of color, who are disproportionately affected by HIV and AIDS and are underrepresented in clinical trials. Learn more about the HIV vaccine clinical trial, how Latinos are impacted by HIV/AIDS, and how clinical trials can ...
Many health behaviors, including COVID-19 vaccinations, are often deterred by incorrect information. That is why UT Health San Antonio researchers studied a new type of advertisement on Facebook to push people to get vaccinated. They used video testimonial ads of peer role models, like Rosa Herrera, who tout the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine in her life, while providing psychological inoculation by acknowledging and rejecting incorrect information, and receiving the vaccine. Compared to generic vaccine promotion ads from the CDC, the peer model ads yielded a significantly higher rate of link clicks on Facebook to “find a vaccine near you,” according to a recent study in the journal Health Education Research. “This provides useful data that tailored ...
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 ...
For the past two years, COVID-19 has continued to ravage the United States. Data continue to show that Latinos and other people of color are disproportionately affected, amid worsening historical health and social inequities. How can we address this? Let’s use #SaludTues on March 1, 2022, to explore health inequities facing the Latino population over the past two years (and long before that), and share solutions and strategies to promote health equity amid the pandemic! WHERE: Twitter
WHAT: #SaludTues Tweetchat “Two Years Later: How COVID-19 Is Impacting Latinos”
WHEN: 1-2 p.m. ET (12-1 p.m. CT), Tuesday, March 1, 2022
HOST: Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio (@SaludAmerica)
CO-HOSTS: The Children’s Partnership (@kidspartnership); Latinx Voces LLC ...
32.1% of Latinos are physically inactive outside of work, putting them in danger of health issues from obesity to cancer, according to a new report from CDC. This is the highest percentage of inactivity among racial/ethnic groups. The disparity is largely due to structural barriers like lack of access to safe and convenient places to exercise, according to the report. “Reducing physical inactivity requires a comprehensive effort from many groups—including states, communities, worksites, and individuals—to make it easier for everyone to move more,” according to the CDC report. Learn more about the data on physical activity, reasons why Latinos have higher rates of inactivity, and what can be done to make physical activity more equitable and accessible for Latinos and ...
More Latinos are becoming small business owners, and many more hope to join their ranks. Entrepreneurship continues to rise among overlooked communities, so much so that Latino-owned businesses have grown 34% over the last 10 years. In line with this movement, young Latino students are increasingly seeking an entrepreneur-centric education. In response to this surge of small-business ownership, colleges and universities are pivoting to providing entrepreneurial education programs aimed at students from these populations, according to a recent report from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. “If we can create very large, Latino-owned companies, it will profoundly affect society as well as greatly help many smaller Latino businesses and businesspeople by serving as models ...
