Health

Anissa Durham's "On Borrowed Time" series delves into the intricate dynamics affecting Black patients awaiting organ transplants. The series underscores the critical role of trust, the pervasive impact of racism, and the urgent need to increase the number of Black organ donors and surgeons.

The Environmental Protection Agency has introduced a proposal to increase the permissible exposure level of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, which could disproportionately impact Black communities already facing higher exposure rates compared to their white counterparts.

Recent studies reveal that women diagnosed with uterine fibroids face an 81% increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those without the condition, with Black women being disproportionately affected. Despite its prevalence, fibroids remain an understudied and often overlooked health issue.

Kyhla Desire, a founding youth board member of the African American Diabetes Association, exemplifies the challenges faced by Black youth in diabetes care, having been misdiagnosed twice before her Type 1 diabetes was correctly identified at age five.

Houston-area Black farmers are at the forefront of the fight for food justice, working collaboratively to ensure equitable access to fresh food and empowering the community through education on self-sustained agriculture.

Abbott Laboratories has announced that specific models of its glucose monitors may produce inaccurate readings, a malfunction linked to seven fatalities and more than 700 injuries globally.

The US Food and Drug Administration is conducting an investigation into potential links between Covid-19 vaccines and deaths across various age groups. Concurrently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is updating its vaccine safety framework. Meanwhile, the Secretary of Health and Human Services has expressed skepticism regarding vaccine efficacy.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has shifted its stance on hepatitis B vaccination, moving away from universal vaccination at birth. The new recommendation emphasizes reliance on maternal test results during pregnancy, ensuring that newborns of mothers who test positive receive vaccination promptly after birth.

A sperm donor carrying a rare genetic mutation associated with a heightened cancer risk has fathered at least 197 children throughout Europe, with some already succumbing to the illness.

As COVID-19, flu, and RSV infections increase nationwide, health authorities advise obtaining essential vaccinations ahead of holiday gatherings. Recommended immunizations include flu, COVID-19, RSV, pneumococcal, Tdap, MMR & varicella, and shingles vaccines, aiming to mitigate the spread of these viruses during family events.