Minority Groups Neglected in Studies of Cardiovascular Disease
The majority of medical research is conducted in the U.S. and Europe. The mix of populations in these places is predominantly white although racial/ethnic minority populations are growing steadily. Yet, despite the clear differences in disease susceptibility, researchers have been slow to focus on nonwhite populations. This situation has to change.
In a new study published in the March 2006 issue of PLoS Medicine, Meghna Ranganathan and Raj Bhopal found that only a small minority of cardiovascular disease studies collected sufficient data on ethnic populations. Of 72 studies,
- 10 compared white and nonwhite populations
- 5 focused on one nonwhite ethnic group.
- All 15 were conducted in the United States.
- Not one European study so far has investigated cardiovascular disease specifically in minority populations.
Both genetic and social factors play a role in determining a person’s risk of heart disease. In developed countries, social factors can compound or override any genetic heritage because ethnic minorities are often “poorer, less educated, and more frequently unemployed”. Any findings in the white population may not apply.
The disparities in healthcare and disease risk between racial/ethnic groups as well as men and women is a favorite topic of mine that I will touch upon again and again. No matter how equal we may think our society is, the reality is that it’s not even close. To deny this inequality and not investigate it further will limit our understanding of disease processes which will in turn worsen the health of everyone, including those in the majority.
Tags: cardiovascular-disease, disease, ethnic-minority, health, heart, heart-disease, minorities, raceRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Hearty Research
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