Even if you're thin, you might be genetically at risk for diabetes. A new study, led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health, examined data from 9,000 Latino adults ages 21-76 and found that a well-known gene variant linked to Type 2 diabetes—transcription Factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene—also may predispose a person to being leaner. Individuals with the TCF7L2 gene variant may be at risk for Type 2 diabetes even while maintaining a low body weight. The findings is novel, given many individuals with diabetes are obese. "The counterintuitive discovery that some people are predisposed both to being thin and developing Type 2 diabetes refocuses our attention on the need to collect data in diverse populations and across ...
The U.S. burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias will more than double within 50 years, and Latinos will suffer the biggest rise, according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC indicates the total number of Alzheimer's cases will rise from 4.9 million in 2014 to 1.4 billion in 2060. But themost staggering rise is among Latinos: Latinos living with Alzheimer's will rise from 430,000 in 2014 to 3.2 million in 2060. That is a more than seven-fold increase in that span.
African Americans living with Alzheimer's will rise from 573,000 million in 2014 to 2.2 million in 2060.
White (non-Latinos) living with Alzheimer's will rise from 3.7 million in 2014 to 7.4 million in 2050, before starting to decline to 7.1 million in ...
In Latino culture, family is the heart and children are expected to be caregivers for their aging parents. 1 in every 3 U.S. Latino households has at least one family caregiver. These Latino caregivers—mainly women in their 40s—juggle multiple jobs or leave the workforce entirely to enter the respectable but high-stress role of taking care of aging family members, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and other age-related mental health issues. Latino caregivers of Alzheimer’s Disease patients deal with high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms, studies show. "Too often, Latino caregivers do not know where to turn for guidance, relief, and support for their caregiving activities," according to a recent report from the National Hispanic ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, a top cancer researcher and director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio, today was named one of 12 new "Komen Scholars" by Susan G. Komen, the world’s largest non-profit funder of breast cancer research. Komen Scholars are an advisory group of distinguished leaders in breast cancer research and leadership. Each scholar—chosen for their knowledge, leadership, and contributions to breast cancer research—will help guide Komen’s $956 million research program, present at national meetings, and serve as experts and leaders for Komen’s nationwide network of affiliates and in communities around the globe. Ramirez, as part of being named a Komen Scholar, will receive $600,000 over three years to study ...
Latinos are sorely underrepresented in clinical research and the healthcare workforce, said a minority health leader. Dr. Eliseo Perez-Stable, director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, called this issue a "crisis" during the recent National Hispanic Medical Association conference in March 2018, Medpage Today reports. He also covered these issues at UT Health San Antonio's Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos in February 2018.
Latinos & Clinical Research
Latinos face many health disparities in cancer. They tend to have low access to healthy food, physical activity, and social support services, according to Salud America! research. Yet they don't often join clinical trials, Perez-Stable said. "There hasn't been a single [prostate] ...
For Elidia Tafoya, calavera—the Spanish word for “skull”—has a positive connotation. It reminds her that opportunities in life are abundant. Tafoya is certainly taking advantage of growing opportunities to study health issues and promote healthy lifestyles among underserved populations. After earning her master’s degree in public health from San Jose State University in 2015, Tafoya has worked as a clinical researcher at Stanford School of Medicine. She manages several dermatologic projects, ranging from investigator-initiated, to industry, and federally funded clinical trials to test new therapies for skin conditions. Tafoya also has served as an advocate on a diabetes prevention program to reduce the risk of diabetes and minimize health disparities. Due to the ...
Did you know that someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's every 66 seconds? Multi-billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates knows. He has had family impacted by the disease. And that's why he's investing $50 million to fund research to find treatment for Alzheimer's disease, a type of dementia that destroys memory and mental processing. "It’s a terrible disease that devastates both those who have it and their loved ones," Gates wrote on his blog recently. "I know how awful it is to watch people you love struggle as the disease robs them of their mental capacity, and there is nothing you can do about it. It feels a lot like you’re experiencing a gradual death of the person that you knew." Alzheimer's is the No. 6 cause of death in the United States. It kills more ...
This is part of the Salud America! The State of Latino Early Childhood Development: A Research Review »
Head Start Centers as School Readiness Havens
Many children attend Head Start programs, which were founded to promote school readiness for children of low-income families. In recent years, the Head Start curriculum has been challenged to enhance children’s language and preliteracy skills using interactive reading with active discussions. One of these programs, the Research-based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) classroom intervention, uses evidence-based curricula that center on preschool attainment of language, preliteracy, and social-emotional skills considered essential for later achievement. In a study of 356 children (17% Latino) enrolled in Head Start programs, ...
What is the #SaludTues Tweetchat?
#SaludTues is a periodic (formerly weekly) Tweetchat on Twitter/X about health among all people on some Tuesdays at 12p CST/1p EST. The chat is hosted by @SaludAmerica, the health social media campaign and Twitter handle for the Salud America! team. Each chat has two or more co-hosts and special guest from partner organizations. Salud America! asks a set of important questions, and co-hosts and special guests share their answers to raise awareness of and discuss solutions to health issues for all people.
#SaludTues Tweetchat Participants Anyone on Twitter can join. Just tag your Tweets with the hashtag #SaludTues to follow the conversation on Twitter.
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