This article originally appeared on preventcancer.org. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we reflect on the love and pride we have for our cultura. As we enjoy this month of history, celebration, and unity with our friends and familia, it’s also a great time to raise awareness on important health topics like cancer prevention. It’s no secret that cancer is major concern for the Latino community. Cancer is the leading cause of death in Latinos. Additionally, about 1 in 3 Latino men and women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. Latino families must prioritize early detection and getting routine cancer screenings. According to the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s 2024 Early Detection Survey, “When cancer is detected early, it can lead to less extensive ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, shared insight on cancer on a webinar from the National Cancer Institute. The webinar was set for Oct. 2, 2024. Ramirez's presentation focused on reducing US cancer for all people, including Latinos, through research, outreach, and training.
Dr. Ramirez & Her Health Promotion Research
Ramirez is an internationally recognized health researcher at UT Health San Antonio. Here, she is professor and chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences and director of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. She also is associate director of cancer outreach and engagement at the Mays Cancer Center. She directs the Salud America! national multimedia health program. The ...
Hispanic Heritage Month is here! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. We at Salud America! invite you to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in these surprising ways.
1. Learn How Hispanic Heritage Month Began
U.S. Congressmen Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles and Henry B. Gonzales were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover its current 30-day period. President Ronald Reagan implemented the expansion to ...
Ahead of the 2024 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference, 15 Latina women from across the country came together, unified by a common thread — to become a research patient leader.
This gathering, on Feb. 20, 2024, marked the first in-person meeting of the Latino Cancer Patient Advocate Training Program, a new initiative to teach cancer survivors to become research patient health leaders, who help others navigate the healthcare system and raise the Latino voice in research.
Patient health leaders are critical to the goal of reducing Latino cancer disparities, said Dr. Barbara Segarra-Vázquez of the University of Puerto Rico, co-leader of the new program.
“You really have to have passion to become a patient advocate,” said Segarra-Vazquez. “It’s that desire to ...
Every month the Salud America! team at the Institute of Health Promotion Research (IHPR) at UT Health San Antonio showcases the latest health news, clinical trials, research study results, and stories impacting the Latino community. Salud America! is led by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez. “Our mission is to inspire people to drive change for health improvement for Latino and all families,” said Ramirez, professor and director of the IHPR at UT Health San Antonio. In August, Salud America! helped celebrate an achievement in collaboration with Genentech, shared back to school resources, covered inequities in Latino healthcare and chronic diseases, and much more! Let’s take a deeper dive into some of the topics, news, and stories published in July that are ...
High blood pressure is a silent killer (el asesino silencioso in Spanish) that can spur heart disease and stroke among Latinos. We addressed heart health at UT Health San Antonio’s webinar, “How to Fight El Asesino Silencioso,” at 11 a.m. Central on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in advance of Hispanic Heritage Month. This webinar featured experts from UT Health San Antonio, the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), and Genentech to share resources and relevant tools that Latino families and healthcare workers can use to help prevent, treat, and manage high blood pressure, also called hypertension. This is a part of a webinar series, “Let’s Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond." The series is a collaboration of the Salud America! program at the Institute for ...
Signs of cognitive impairment and early dementia among Latinos and other people from vulnerable populations 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 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 ...
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 differences. Let’s use #SaludTues on Sept. 3, 2024, to explore the background gaps in cancer prevention, screening, care, and treatment, as well as share ways – from clinical trial participation to patient support 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 ...
Latinos continue to be one of the fastest growing populations in the US. Between 2022 and 2023, Latinos accounted for 71% of the population growth in the US, according to new data from the US Census Bureau. Latinos now make up 19.5% of the country’s population. The rise, occurring at an annual growth of 1.8% and attributed to a large number of births, makes Latinos the second largest group in the US. Let’s unpack some of the statistics and what they mean for the future of Latinos.
US Latino Population Growth
In 2023, the Latino population grew by 1.16 million for a total of 65 million. Latinos contributed significantly to the overall population growth in the US, which increased by 1.64 million. “The Hispanic population is expanding at a ...
