Background/aims: There are racial and geographic disparities in stroke mortality, with higher rates among African Americans (AAs) and those living in the southeastern US ('stroke belt'). Racial and geographic differences in dyslipidemia prevalence, awareness, treatment and control may, in part, account for the observed disparities in stroke mortality.
Methods: Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) is a national observational study of community-dwelling black and white participants aged 45 and older, with oversampling from the stroke belt. As of January 15, 2007, 26,122 participants were enrolled and a fasting lipid panel was available of 21,068. Awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia were estimated overall and compared across race-sex-region strata.
Results: There were 55% of the participants with dyslipidemia and no racial differences in prevalence. Adjusting for demographic and established stroke risk factors, AAs had a lower prevalence (OR 0.74; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.77) and were less likely to be aware (0.69; 0.61, 0.78), treated (0.77; 0.67, 0.89) and controlled (0.67; 0.58, 0.77) than whites. There was lower control outside of the stroke belt (0.87; 0.76, 0.99).
Conclusion: Racial, but not geographic, differences in dyslipidemia management may play a role in the excess stroke burden in the Southeast.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000328258 | DOI Listing |
Drugs Aging
December 2024
Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
Introduction: Medication regimen complexity may be an important risk factor for adverse outcomes in older adults with heart failure. However, increasing complexity is often necessary when prescribing guideline-directed medical therapy at the time of a heart failure hospitalization. We sought to determine whether increased medication regimen complexity following a heart failure hospitalization was associated with worse post-hospitalization outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hand Microsurg
January 2025
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Background: Since the release of ChatGPT by OpenAI in November 2022, generative artificial intelligence (AI) models have attracted significant attention in various fields, including surgery. These advancements have been particularly notable for creating highly detailed and contextually accurate images from textual prompts. A notable area of clinical application is the representation of surgeon demographics in various specialties, particularly in the context of microsurgery and plastic surgery-related subspecialties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Otolaryngol
December 2024
Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States of America.
Objective: Our study aims to shed light on racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in phase 2/3 Meniere's disease (MD) clinical trials, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the inclusivity and effectiveness of future MD research.
Methods: We conducted a systematic review of phase 2/3 MD Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). Using the search terms "Meniere's Disease" and "Endolymphatic hydrops", we searched ClinicalTrials.
Soc Sci Med
December 2024
Gauteng City-Region Observatory, University of Johannesburg, University of the Witwatersrand, 11 Jorissen Street, Johannesburg, South Africa; School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SS, UK.
Background: South Africa's history of apartheid has led to persistent inequalities. While progress has been made since 1994, disparities in quality of life (QoL) remain, particularly along racial lines. This study examines how race, gender, and sexual orientation intersect to influence QoL in Gauteng - South Africa's most populous and economically vibrant province.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Public Health
December 2024
Institute for Health Research, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK.
Background: Inequalities in cancer, palliative, and end-of-life care services remain a significant challenge, particularly for ethnic minorities who face systemic barriers such as limited awareness, cultural stigmas, and language differences. These disparities hinder equitable access to essential services and contribute to poorer health outcomes for affected communities. Addressing these challenges requires targeted, culturally sensitive initiatives that promote both awareness and uptake of care.
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