All articles tagged with #health disparities
A World Health Organization report projects global cancer cases to rise substantially by 2050, with lower-income countries hit hardest. Despite progress in cancer surveillance and treatment, inequities in global health care and risk factors such as obesity are driving more cases and deaths, making many cancers preventable through prevention and equitable care.
CDC provisional data show the US death rate fell to a record low in 2025 (689.2 per 100,000), with life expectancy likely reaching a new high after hitting 79 years in 2024. The turnaround is driven largely by a sharp decline in overdose deaths (about 70,000 in 2025, down from 114,000 in 2023), plus declines in homicides and Covid deaths, and broad gains in heart disease and cancer mortality. GLP-1 obesity drugs could push life expectancy even higher, but the US still trails peer nations by about 3–4 years and features wide state- and income-related disparities.
Provisional CDC data show U.S. death rates fell to about 689 per 100,000 in 2025—the lowest in more than a century—likely signaling a new record high for life expectancy, though figures are provisional. Heart disease and cancer remain top killers, overdose deaths still high but down, and disparities by age and race persist, with policy factors shaping the trends.
U.S. cancer deaths have fallen about 35% over 35 years, saving roughly 5 million lives thanks to improved screening and treatments, but mortality remains higher for African American and American Indian/Alaska Native communities across several cancers. Colorectal cancer has been reduced largely through screening like colonoscopy, yet non-white groups still have lower screening rates; disparities also extend to cervical cancer and access-to-care barriers persist, though patient navigators are helping some patients navigate treatment.
A cross‑country study of 66,000 people finds that lower socioeconomic status and racial marginalization are tied to faster biological aging, as measured by newer epigenetic clocks that track health and mortality risk; the strongest effects appear with the latest clocks, and children in poorer conditions also show accelerated aging, highlighting how poverty and discrimination shape aging and could guide targeted health interventions—though pediatric clock estimates are less certain due to developmental factors.
CDC data indicate US infant mortality fell to a record low in 2025, but the rate still trails many peer nations and persistent disparities remain across racial and geographic groups.
Black churches are partnering with researchers to combat dementia stigma and address disparities in diagnosis and care within Black communities. At the Alter Dementia Summit, faith leaders and scientists mix worship with science to educate about brain health, support caregivers, and encourage Black participants in clinical trials to diversify research and improve access to treatment.
One in five U.S. adults aged 20–64 have at least one untreated cavity, driven in part by cost barriers and dental fears; experts urge regular dental visits for early detection, while daily habits like brushing, flossing, and staying hydrated can help protect teeth and gums.
A review of 44 studies finds Black women have higher oxidative stress, inflammation, and uteroplacental vascular resistance during pregnancy, likely driven by socioenvironmental stressors such as systemic racism and deprivation rather than genetics, which may contribute to worse outcomes and higher maternal mortality in the UK. The researchers call for addressing root causes and increasing maternity-care investment.
An American Cancer Society analysis of more than 101,000 deaths from colon and rectal cancers between 1994 and 2023 finds colorectal cancer has become the leading cancer killer for Americans under 50, with the rise almost entirely among those without a four-year college degree. Death rates in the less-educated group climbed from about 4 to 5.2 per 100,000, while graduates stayed around 2.7 per 100,000, widening the education gap. Factors include income, access to preventive care, health literacy, environmental exposures, smoking, and stress. Despite lowering screening age to 45 in 2021, many under-50 patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, underscoring the importance of awareness and early detection.
A Yale-led study of 595 adults with long COVID found that new eye symptoms after infection (blurred vision, dry eyes, floaters) are linked to a more severe disease profile, including worse overall health, higher autonomic symptoms (POTS, dizziness, tremors), more GI issues and migraines, and greater financial/housing instability; authors say ocular symptoms may indicate more-severe long COVID and call for more research, though limitations include self-reported data and a predominantly female/White sample.
A Science Advances study using artificial intelligence-derived analysis of death certificates estimates about 155,000 additional Covid-19 deaths occurred in 2020–2021 outside hospitals and were not counted in official tallies, suggesting roughly 16% of Covid-19 deaths were uncounted. The undiagnosed deaths disproportionately affected Hispanic and other people of color in the South and Southwest, due to factors like limited testing outside hospitals, variable death investigations, and political dynamics surrounding reporting.
New global analysis (GBD 2023) finds 2.3 million breast cancer cases in 2023 rising to over 3.5 million by 2050, with 28% of the burden tied to six modifiable factors (red meat, tobacco, high blood sugar, high BMI, alcohol, physical inactivity); outcomes are worse in low- and middle-income countries, underscoring prevention, early detection, and access to treatment.
A UW-led JAMA study analyzing NHANES, BRFSS and Gallup data (over 11 million participants) projects obesity will reach about 126 million American adults, or 46.9%, by 2035, up from 42.5% in 2022. The study highlights stark disparities by race, gender and state—Black and Latino women and Latino men are among the most affected, including in California—driven by systemic inequalities in food access and healthcare. California’s Medi-Cal changes reducing coverage for obesity treatment add a new barrier, while state policies and local initiatives are cited as efforts to slow the rise.
A University of Washington study published in JAMA projects that by 2035 nearly half of American adults—about 126 million—will be medically obese, up from 42.5% in 2022 and 19.3% in 1990, with pronounced racial, ethnic, and gender disparities across states (e.g., Black and Latino women projected near 60%). California may fare somewhat better but still faces widening gaps, highlighting the need for stronger school nutrition standards, active transportation, taxes on unhealthy foods, and expanded access to obesity treatments amid policy changes affecting Medi‑Cal coverage.