Ever heard of donating biospecimens for research? When a person donates biospecimens—blood, fluid, or tissue samples—it gives researchers the opportunity to better understand, treat, and prevent medical conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's. Biospecimens are especially needed from Latinos, who suffer health disparities. "Latinos who donate biospecimens are heroes. Their contributions enable researchers to make medical discoveries and build new therapies to help millions of Latinos across the nation," said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, leader of the Salud America! Latino health equity program at the Institute for Health Promotion Research in the Department of Population Health Sciences at UT Health San Antonio.
What are Biospecimens?
Biospecimens are materials from the human ...
While most people who have COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks, some continue to experience symptoms weeks after their initial recovery. This condition is often called Long COVID. Common signs and symptoms of Long COVID include fatigue, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, cough, joint pain, chest pain, and even organ damage, according to the Mayo Clinic. But we don’t know everything about the long-term health effects of COVID-19 infection. You can help researchers learn more about Long COVID through research studies, such as RECOVER, a National Institute of Health (NIH) study to better prevent, test, and treat Long COVID-19 in the future. Find a recover testing site near you!
RECOVER Research Study
The NIH launched RECOVER to learn why some people ...
Latinos are expected to comprise well over 25% of the U.S. population by 2050. But they face health disparities in eye health, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and more, endangering the future health of the nation. Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio, will explore the causes of these disparities in a virtual presentation, "A New Vision for Reaching Latinos for Systemic and Behavioral Change," at 2:45 p.m. ET, July 14, 2022, at the 11th Annual Focus on Eye Health National Summit led by Prevent Blindness. The overall event, which is free, is set for July 13-14, 2022. "Our efforts must address structural inequities — from a lack of healthcare access to unaffordable housing to experiences of discrimination to a lack of diversity among health care ...
Sascha Ellington, PhD
Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) CDC is encouraging people who are pregnant, trying to get pregnant now, or may become pregnant in the future to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations. Latinas have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 with the second-highest rate of cases reaching over 65,000. Learn how COVID-19 vaccinations can provide additional peace of mind for you and your family during pregnancy.
Navigating COVID-19 and Pregnancy
Did you know people who are pregnant or were recently pregnant are more likely to get very sick from COVID-19 than people who are not pregnant? If you become sick with COVID-19 during pregnancy, you are more likely to experience preterm birth and stillbirth and might be at ...
Substance abuse in the US is a public health problem that affects many people, including Latinos. Yet, Latinos are less likely than their White peers to get treatment they need. There is a new investigational treatment for substance abuse —the use of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic pulses to temporarily stimulate areas of the brain. Fortunately, you can make a difference by representing Latinos in the Stimulus Research Study, a clinical trial at UT Health San Antonio and other sites that will help researchers learn if the use of rTMS can help people reduce or stop their cocaine or methamphetamine use. “The rTMS clinical trial and others like it hope to develop and apply new treatments that work for Latinos ...
“The good news is, we can’t kill you trying to save you. You showed up fit to fight.” Still in shock of recent events, Loriana Hernandez-Aldama tried to process the words of world-renowned oncologist Dr. Mark Levis. In such a short period of time in January 2014, her life had completely changed. Just a few days earlier, Loriana, a married mother and TV news anchor with a successful career in Austin and Dallas, Texas, was excitedly working with her fertility doctor to have another baby. But a precautionary blood test before a traditional embryo transfer revealed a disheartening diagnosis of AML Leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer. At the advice of her doctor and healthcare connections, she kissed her then 2-year-old son, Gabriel, goodbye, and boarded a plane to Johns ...
Los latinos representan menos del 10% de los voluntarios en los estudios clínicos de cáncer (enlace en inglés). La falta de latinos en los estudios clínicos hace que sea más difícil para los investigadores encontrar tratamientos desarrollados específicamente para este grupo – que representa el 18.5% de la población de los Estados Unidos y una diversidad de culturas. Las doctoras Amelie G. Ramírez y Patricia Chalela de UT Health San Antonio identificaron barreras y estrategias para promover la representación latina en los estudios clínicos en un nuevo comentario (enlace en inglés) publicado en JCO Oncology Practice. Se necesitará más que simplemente aumentar el conocimiento sobre los estudios clínicos. "Para lograr la participación equitativa de los latinos y ...
Unfortunately, Latino men have lower cancer screening rates than their White peers. Only 30% of Latino men received a PSA test for prostate cancer in the past year, compared to 37% of White men. Colorectal cancer screening was lower in Latinos (49%) than Whites (58%), too. To address this issue, you’re invited to join our webinar — Men, Why Should You Get Screened for Cancer? — at 2 p.m. CT on June 9, 2022. This Zoom webinar will feature guest speakers and patient advocates to help health care professionals and the Latino public understand the cultural and other barriers to screening, demystify screening tests, and share stories of Latino men's screening and cancer survival. This is the fourth webinar of a new series, “Let’s Address Health Equity Together.” The ...
Por Tatiana Holanda
Sobreviviente de cáncer brasileña en San Antonio No veo al cáncer como un oponente "Lo veo como un maestro". Esa es la frase que resume mi historia. A la edad de 33 años, luego de los exámenes, se detectó un bulto en la mama izquierda de 2 cm, en el examen de ultrasonido se clasificó como Birads 4 con indicación de biopsia. En junio de 2019, con el resultado en la mano, se confirmó que tenía cáncer de mama triple negativo. Al principio, desesperación, luego angustia y ansiedad. Hubo 40 días de espera entre el diagnóstico y el inicio del tratamiento. Tuve que sacar fuerzas de algún lado, en ese momento mi hijo Rafael tenía 1 año. Cuando descubrí la enfermedad, pensé: tanto le pedí a Dios un hijo y ¿qué voy a hacer ahora frente al ...
