These were fibroids invading my body and interrupting my peace. I knew it but could not prove it, so I consulted a doctor to tell me what I already knew.

After an extended period of listening to a history podcast about the French Revolution in the waiting room, I was able to connect with him and explain my feelings.

His response to the news that I was running through super jumbo tampons like they were going out of style and had days where I could not stand due to the pain did not shock me, but it did infuriate me.

The OB-GYN I was seeing at the time refused to give me an ultrasound. He stared at my mid-section as I spoke, refusing to meet my eyes or acknowledge the urgency in my voice. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that “Fibroids are more common and more severe among African American women, and African American women have fibroids diagnosed at earlier ages, are more likely to be symptomatic, and are likely to have different responses to medical treatment than White women.”

These facts did not affect his decision-making.

His diagnosis was premature. He did not inform me that having a vitamin D deficiency— which I was later proven to have—was associated with a higher risk for fibroids. He did not ask anything about my stress level or my lifestyle.

It leaped from his lips. “Go to the gym at 6 am daily, then come back and talk to me in a couple of months, okay.”

He refused to commit to ordering an ultrasound despite my protests. It did not matter that I explained my family history. It did not matter that I had been bleeding since I was 11 years old, and I knew that what I was experiencing was not normal for my body.

I was fat, so sending me to the gym was the only logical conclusion to addressing any health problem I had. What else could you do but instruct me to hit the weight room? It’s not like l was a real person or anything.

“Physicians may over-attribute symptoms and problems to obesity and fail to refer the patient for diagnostic testing or to consider treatment options beyond advising the patient to lose weight, according to a 2015 study published in Obesity Reviews. I am living proof that research is accurate.

This kind of weight bias negatively impacts patient outcomes and contributes to some people’s reluctance to seek care.

Fat people are not the only ones who are routinely dismissed by the people they turn to for help. Women Health Reports reported in 2022 that “Racism impacts clinician’s ability to listen to Black women’s experiences and treat them as equal partners in decision-making about their own care and treatment options.”

When you are a Black woman who happens to be fat, you are likely to face more barriers to receiving adequate care.

The Journal of American Medical Association reports that “Chronic pain is an area where substantial racial and ethnic differences in the management and treatment of Black individuals’ pain have been well-documented.”

A few years and a significant amount of pain later, I turned to another doctor at the height of the pandemic. She was a Black woman.

I sought out a Black woman doctor because I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t. I explained what I was feeling and was immediately told that I needed an ultrasound.

The experience was simple. It revealed what I already knew quickly. I had several fibroid tumors causing my pain.

There was no need to plead and beg for what should have been routine diagnostic care. She felt she could not confidently treat me without knowing what was going on, so she ensured I had tests that would let her develop an informed treatment plan.

It is unconscionable that my healthcare provider refused to confirm that via the appropriate testing.

Editor’s Note: If a doctor does not give you the tests you believe you need, ask again. If they refuse, change practitioners immediately. Do not wait. Before choosing a new doctor, research, research, research, check ratings, read reviews, and get recommendations from current patients. Check out this list for more tips.

The post My Ob-Gyn Denied Me Care Because I’m Overweight appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The report indicates that up to 50% of birthing people retain 10 pounds or more, and up to 25% retain more than 20 pounds.

Being proactive about your patient’s PPWR now could avoid the associated comorbidity medical risks such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in the future.

Recognizing the Roadblocks

There is room to improve the postpartum wellness journey and obesity outcomes for your patients who give birth—currently, care often centers around the most visible challenges associated with the post-delivery period. However, that period is extensive, and patients need instruction on caring for their mind and body during that time.

A review published in Heylion found that “When communicating with patients from different cultural backgrounds, physicians were found to be authoritarian, biomedical-focused, and not involved with patients in decision-making.” Perceptions like these create roadblocks to effective obesity treatment.

Why Cultural Sensitivity Matters

Leah Hairston, a birth and postpartum doula who earned the recognition of John Hopkins Social Innovation Lab and as a semifinalist for Pharell Williams’ Black Ambition Prize last year, Sweet Bee Services, spoke to the need for professionals who understand the cultural sensitivity challenges faced in postpartum.

“There’s a dearth of access to Black dietitians and nutritionists,” she told Black Health Matters.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states, “Reproduction has been identified as an important factor for long-term weight gain among women.”

Hairston and her team offer solutions to the people they serve. “People feel a lot more at ease because there’s somebody who looks like them who also understands,” she explained.

Hairston gave an example of the need for cultural sensitivity in postpartum nutrition: “My family’s Caribbean. So, I’m gonna eat plantains and rice and beans. I don’t want to feel like rice and beans are a punitive meal,” she explained. But I might not need to eat six helpings of rice and beans.”

She values practitioners who are “able to honor the things that are important to me and my family while also honoring our budgetary restrictions and any other needs that we might have.” She brings that awareness to her work.

Rethinking Postpartum Evaluations

Birthing persons require support far beyond the first few months of the postpartum era, but an article from Nutrition Research Reviews reported that “much less attention is being given to the postpartum period beyond 18 months.”

Postpartum patients need thorough evaluations to determine if they have obesity. These evaluations need to go beyond the sparse required check-ins for birthing persons.

“There is a great need for postpartum women to identify the implications of postpartum obesity. There is also a need for healthcare professionals to treat postpartum women with greater competency, having a structured postpartum follow-up with counseling and motivation for weight loss and investigations like hemoglobin, TSH, and blood sugars at follow-up,” according to a 2022 article published by the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology of India.

The Annals of Hematology noted that “postpartum anemia has been linked to several important postpartum morbidities, including depression, reduced cognition, and fatigue.” Still, it is critical to learn how it plays into postpartum obesity.

Dr. Danielle Wright-Terre, founder of the Honey, a postpartum community and app, commented on gaps in the postpartum care process that begin earlier than that. “Regarding check-ins for the mom, there are gaps,” she said. “There needs to be more guidance on the physical recovery aspect.”

Many doctors focus on ruling out issues for new mothers instead of being evaluated for ways they can thrive.

“The postpartum phase is just to make sure mom is doing well from a mental health standpoint. After that visit, if nothing is identified, her next visit is at 12 months, and that’s the annual visit. So, there’s not a lot of check-ins,” Dr. Wright-Terrell continued.

Key Factors Impacting PPWR

According to the Journal of Clinical Medicine, “Irregular sleep and mealtimes during the postpartum period could also interfere with body weight. Emerging evidence suggests that the misalignment of eating and fasting patterns with the body’s circadian rhythm could impact metabolic function and consequently body weight.”

Irregular sleep can also contribute to an individual becoming obese.

“Individuals who regularly slept less than seven hours per night were more likely to have higher average body mass indexes and develop obesity than those who slept more,” in a study published by BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine.

Current Obesity Reports states, “Epigenetic programming that occurs at conception and throughout pregnancy predisposes children born to mothers with obesity to a range of chronic metabolic conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.”

Taking an Individualized Approach

Healthcare practitioners must individualize their engagement with birthing people. Not all people who give birth are the same, and they do not all come from the same culture.

An informed perspective can help a practitioner be more effective.

Dr. Wright-Terrell pointed out that people who deliver without complications might not need to wait the widely recommended six weeks before engaging in movement that might help their mind and body. She said sometimes they “can start moving and gentle exercise as soon as 72 hours after delivery.”

Talking to your patients to determine what is best for them can help you make recommendations that suit their goals best.

“I try not to restrict my patients in terms of movement because movement is really powerful and healthy overall, and it can help you feel more like yourself.”

Referrals are crucial in helping people with uteruses re-engage with their fitness plans. Hairston uses referrals to help her clients understand the resources available to them.

“A nutritionist is covered under your insurance when you’re pregnant and usually in the first couple weeks of postpartum, and so it should be pretty easy to find somebody in-network,” she said.

Dr. Wright-Terrell explained the importance of educating patients on how their fitness goals can be achieved through seeking specific care to prevent sustained weight gain. For example, physical therapy can help build core strength, which is essential to pursuing weight loss through physical exercise. “Another great resource that I feel is underutilized is physical therapists, specifically pelvic floor physical therapists,” she said.

Dr. Wright-Terrell states, “Every OB should have a low threshold to send out the referral” for a specialist to accommodate them.

When HCPs approach patients holistically, we may have a better chance of reducing PPWR in our community.

Supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc.

The post A Holistic Approach to Postpartum Weight Gain Benefits Patients appeared first on Black Health Matters.

“Along with the loss of menstrual periods, the menopause transition is marked by phenotypic changes including body weight gain associated with increased fat mass and decreased lean body mass associated with reduced skeletal muscle mass and net bone resorption,” according to BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Preparing a plan to deal with this is particularly important for those treating Black women who face a different menopause experience, according to Dr. Alaa Gerais, a resident physician at the Neil Riordan Center for Regenerative Medicine. “Women of color also tend to go through menopausal symptoms at younger ages and for longer durations than white women,” she explained in a statement to Black Health Matters.

The hazard factors impacting the range of menopause onset include oral contraceptive use, smoking, and more.

Being open to developing a plan that caters to the demands of the patient’s lifestyle is key to helping them effectively handle this transition.

“Managing these issues is an important part of caring for women at mid-life, so it is incumbent on practitioners to have a clear understanding of the treatment options and how they may be adapted to an individual woman’s needs,” according to the Journal of Mid-Life Health.

We seek ways to advise your patient on weight gain during menopause. We’ve rounded up some methods below.

Educate Them

Empowering your patients through education allows them to be a true partner in managing their journey through menopause. This process can begin at the beginning of the menopause’s onset or even before it with predictive factors that can help you prepare your patient’s expectations.

Begin doling out advice and listening to their concerns during the perimenopausal period.

Talk them through how the effects of menopause might be showing up in their lives, and actively listen when they answer about their lifestyle.

Consider the best plan of action that they are most likely to maintain without drastically altering their routine.

Keep the advice focused on what best practices will work for the patient before you, and do not generalize it. “Provide counseling that focuses specifically on engagement in a weight loss intervention may enhance weight loss outcomes relative to more general weight loss advice,” reports the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Have Them Hit the Weight Room

“Proper nutrition and exercise can help keep excess weight off, leading to a reduction of the fluctuation of estrogen, therefore, a decrease in menopausal symptoms. Exercises such as weight training can also strengthen bones, which is important in menopausal women due to decreased estrogen,” explained Dr. Gerais.

Danielle Rancourt, a registered dietitian, connected the lack of bone strength to the necessity of incorporating strength training into an overall wellness routine. “This is why strength training and adequate protein are so important at this stage,” she said.

Check-in with patients to determine what part of their fitness regime includes strength training. To make strength training more appealing, recommend incorporating methods that fit their goals in other areas of their lives. If they struggle to gain the appropriate nutrition, refer them to a nutritionist.

Advise Them to Get as Much Help as They Need

Reinforce that there is no need for those facing menopause to feel ashamed of this natural change. “If a woman is experiencing menopausal symptoms, she must speak to her doctor about the changes she is experiencing,” Dr. Gerais continued.

Work with their other providers to develop a plan that includes their mental and emotional health.

Consider Their Lived Experiences

Present a culturally informed medical opinion by considering the lived experience of your patient and how it might intersect with their transition into menopause. Other studies have found that some health risks associated with systemic racism contribute to the menopausal experiences of marginalized persons.

Find out what other kinds of support are available to help them achieve their goals.

Rancourt recommended “managing stress,” “prioritizing sleep,” and “seeking help from a qualified women’s health provider to manage your symptoms” as well. Insomnia can lead to difficulty managing weight, including the type of weight gain associated with menopause. If they express difficulties, I in achieving the appropriate results, refer them to a nutritionist.

A 2022 study published in Women’s Midlife Health found Black women were “50% more likely than White women” to experience vasomotor symptoms that can impact sleep and recovery. Consider this when making recommendations.

According to a Women’s Health Initiative Study, the risk of developing insomnia was greater in women who consumed high glycemic index (GI) foods bread, pasta, baked goods, and white rice) and anything containing added sugars (sugary beverages, sweets) versus low glycemic index  (GI) plant foods such as most fruits and vegetables, legumes and beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Bottom line: You may have to assist your patient in navigating the new realities she will face in mid-life, and some of the adjustments she may need to make. Weight gain and the distribution of fat may be among them. Start guiding her early, whenever possible, especially knowing that your Black patient may have a different experience.

The post Helping Patients Manage Menopause & Unexpected Weight Gain appeared first on Black Health Matters.

But in our community, numbers are even higher; 45.4% of Black adults reported getting less than seven hours of sleep compared to 33.2.% of non-Hispanic white adults.

How Lack of Sleep Impacts Black Patients in Particular

There is a proven link between poor cardiovascular health, something that can contribute to difficulty reversing obesity, and insomnia. It was first discovered in 2009.

Who the patient is and what their life looks like matters in how they can address this information and what their life looks like. A 2022 review published in Nutrients stated that “Epidemiological and laboratory studies have consistently demonstrated that short sleep duration is a significant risk factor for weight gain and obesity, especially in African Americans.” In 2019, Nature and Science of Sleep published a review stating that “most studies report that Blacks have the highest risk and prevalence of poor sleep patterns across various dimensions of sleep health than any other racial/ethnic group.

“It has been previously shown that ghrelin, a hormone promoting hunger, increases with sleep restriction, whereas leptin, a hormone contributing to satiety perception, decreases,” according to the Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Dr. Adrian Pristas, who specializes in Sleep Medicine and Pulmonology and serves as the corporate medical director for the Centers for Sleep Medicine at Hackensack Meridian Health, explained the risks associated with not maintaining proper sleep hygiene for all people to Black Health Matters:

“Short sleep for any reason, whether it be intentional or that of an insomnia patient or somebody with sleep apnea, it comes with consequences,” warned Dr. Pristas. He noted that cardiovascular health is one of the major areas impacted by sleep loss. “People who don’t sleep enough hours, including insomniacs, have more heart attacks and strokes and don’t live a normal lifespan,” he said.

How Insomnia Impacts Patient’s Weight

Obesity can be a predictive factor in developing sleep issues as well.

“The reasons for that are things like adrenaline increase in our bodies when we don’t sleep properly. There are also a few hormones involved, so if you’re trying to stay in shape or you’re trying to manage your weight, managing cortisol and thyroid hormones are important, and they have a circadian rhythm,” he continued. “So if you’re not sleeping properly, the circadian rhythm is disrupted, making it difficult to accomplish goals.”

Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes & Obesity considers sleep disturbances and circadian rhythms novel but potentially deadly risk factors for obesity. In 2017, the journal reported that circadian misalignment “leads to poor dietary choices and reduced energy expenditure, which may contribute to an increased risk for obesity.” It also reported that “insufficient sleep leads to poor dietary choices and altered hormones involved with hunger and appetite, including ghrelin.”

Why Patients Can’t Choose the Gym Over Sleep

Dr. Pristas described the problem with patients choosing to hit the weights over the sheets. “Sacrificing sleep is never a smart approach. It just doesn’t work. Your body won’t respond the way you want,” he said. For people interested in fitness, recovery is part of the plan. You have to allow your body to recover virtually. All recovery happens during sleep. So, you haven’t recovered if you cut your sleep short and then go to the gym.”

This must be explained clearly to patients so they can understand what they are risking when sacrificing sleep for other areas of their lives. Without the knowledge of the risks, it can be difficult for them to understand the gravity of their decisions.

Research confirms his advice. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reported, “Optimal sleeping time and quality are necessary to benefit the allostatic response after exercise.” In 2022, Nature Reviews Endocrinology reported that “short sleep duration (defined in most of the cited studies as less than 5 or 6 hours per day) is associated with a 38% absolute increase in the incidence of obesity compared with normal sleep duration in a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies among adults.”

Dr. Pristas previously used furniture to illustrate the limitations of a healthy lifestyle that doesn’t include sleep. “Imagine your health as a stool with three legs: Sleep, nutrition, and exercise,” said the doctor. “Sleep deprivation will shorten the ‘sleep’ leg, and your health will be off-balance.”

It is important to explain that the kind of sleep patients also miss out on matters and that their approach to closing the gap in their sleep hygiene is imperative.

When we chop off a little bit of sleep time, it’s almost always deep sleep that we are chopping off, and that is the kind of sleep we need to feel better. It’s called restorative sleep,” he explained.

“The last two, three hours of our sleep is that deep sleep. And it’s usually REM, So if you don’t sleep enough, you will chop that valuable sleep off your schedule and lose out.”

4 Ways To Help Your Patients Improve Their Sleep Hygiene

Encourage Them To Ask For Help

Dr. Pristas recommends seeking treatment when restlessness arises. One of his go-to treatment plans is recommending cognitive behavioral therapy. Be prepared to recommend this option to ensure the patient has a method for developing how to take and implement the medical advice you are giving.

Explain What Will Happen If They Refuse To Prioritize Sleep

“I always tell people, if you don’t take care of yourself, you’re gonna be a burden to your family at some point. So, it’s important to take care of yourself, said Dr. Pristas. “You do have to be selfish when it comes to sleep. It’s got to be done.”

Have the studies ready to prove to your patients why they should be committed. Be prepared with positive and negative outcomes so that they can absorb the information that best speaks to them.

Consider Integrating  Wearables into Their Treatment Plan

Adding an eye mask or earplugs can transform your sleep experience. Dr. Pristas uses this practice in his own life. “I personally wear eyewear because I sleep better,” he revealed. I just tell people to sit in an average-lit room, close your eyes, and then cover each eye with the palm of your hand and realize how much darker it is.”

He explained that many people have no idea that light sensitivity negatively impacts their sleep health. “It’s a very common problem that many folks just don’t realize they have.” Don’t assume that your patients know what their sensitivities are. Ask them detailed questions to understand their experience.

Smart watches can help one monitor their sleep habits by drawing their attention to them. “They’re not always as accurate as I’d like to see, but they make people think about their health,” he said.

Recommend Lowering the Temperature

The thermostat might be the answer to patients tossing and turning. “It’s very difficult to sleep in a hot room,” said Dr. Pristas.

Ask them what their options are for cooling things down, and have a few go-to suggestions to offer.

The post Connecting With Patients About Insomnia & Gaining Weight appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Study Findings

The study found that epigenetic aging can be impacted by exposure to racism. Epigenetic aging presents a precise picture of how one’s cells are aging instead of chronological age. There are considerable disparities in the rate at which Black people are diagnosed with certain brain health disorders, including Alzheimer’s Dementia. “Epidemiologic studies suggest that Black individuals have a 2-fold greater risk of Alzheimer’s dementia compared with White individuals; racial discrimination has been indicated as a contributing factor,” according to information obtained from a 2019 study by the Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association.

Theories on the impact of systemic racism on many aspects of healthcare are widely accepted.

Racism as a Public Health Crisis

In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared racism a legitimate public health crisis. The negative results of racism are sometimes referred to as weathering. Previously, “Emerging neuroimaging research has shown that racial discrimination affects brain function and structure,” in a 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It found that “racial discrimination may lead to a proportionately greater response and connectivity in brain networks involved with threat processing and emotion regulation” as a result of the sustained exposure to the trauma racism embeds into the bodies it seeks to diminish. Other studies have highlighted genetic predispositions passed down as a result of this enduring trauma, including the “altered connectivity of the amygdala and anterior insula.” Those findings held even after the information was effectively adjusted for socioeconomic status. This dispels that all it takes is improvements in financial equity to overcome risk factors.

The results of these studies are not dependent on the racist encounters being connected to macro-aggressions or micro-aggressions specifically.

How Codeswitching Factors In

In a 2024 interview with NPR, Negar Fani, a clinical neuroscientist at Emory University evaluating individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and Nate Harnett, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, suggested the adaptability required to self-regulate emotions with coping methods like codeswitching could contribute to the potential degradation of brain health. Their hypothesis pondered whether constantly finding measured responses to a series of harmless hair touches or casual epithets can erode one’s brain health over time.

The pair worked on a 2021 study researching their theories.

The Journal of Biological Psychiatry Published their study, which reported that “experiences of racial discrimination were associated with significantly lower fractional anisotropy in multiple white matter tracts, including the corpus callosum, cingulum, and superior longitudinal fasciculus.” The statistical variations in this study remained “even after accounting for variance associated with trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and demographic- and scanner-related factors.”

“There’s no such thing as a free lunch when it comes to the brain,” Harnett told NPR. “Energy has to come from somewhere. And what we think ends up happening is, you know, an energy that’s reserved for other processes then gets taken away.”

While there has been a rise in the visibility of studies connecting systemic racism to health issues, there has not been an adequate amount of peer-reviewed studies. “Despite numerous studies highlighting the associations between racial discrimination exposure and negative brain health outcomes, few empirical studies have examined racial discrimination–related neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie these outcomes,” according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Identifying how racism impacts the mind and body is essential to learning how to treat its effects in the future.

The post Racism and Codeswitching Are Aging Our Brains appeared first on Black Health Matters.

It allows you to determine what you want your experience to look like. You can spend four hours people-watching at a Parisian cafe or wander through the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal grounds in Porto without thinking about someone else’s needs.

It also opens you to the dangers that can occur to someone on a journey abroad alone.

Here are some tips for enjoying your summer solo travel safely.

Take The First “STEP”

The United States Department of State has the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to allow citizens to remain informed about the places that they are traveling to. The program sends alerts about the status of the country you are traveling to. Sometimes, they arrive in real-time as short bursts of average information. Other times, they offer a broader perspective on the landscape in the area that could impact your long-term plans.

This program also allows travelers to register their trips with the department so that the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate knows their trip to the area. This is helpful in case of an unexpected obstacle.

You do not need to visit an office and stand online to achieve this. There is an online enrollment process.

Research The Area You Are Traveling To Thoroughly

Staying up at night and scrolling through pictures of the hotel balcony you plan to snap selfies on is excellent, but don’t forget to look up the surrounding areas. Memorize street names and landmarks so you can move around confidently and not scream “vulnerable tourist” with your mannerisms.

Share Your Ride Details With A Loved One

Many rideshare apps that operate abroad allow you to share your ride route with a designated person. You can do it manually with each ride you choose or do it automatically so that every ride you take is followed. This feature lets you know someone is paying attention to your whereabouts.

Research the rideshare service you choose before heading out to your next destination.

Use Theft Proof Bags To Stay Protected

Anti-theft bags allow you to carry the essentials close to you so that a pickpocket cannot snip the cord on your bag without you noticing.

Be Mindful Of Your Surroundings

Even the most picturesque and quaint corners of the world can have pitfalls. Keep an eye out when you are moving, especially in a big city, and it is always good to check in with other groups who have recommendations or warnings about the city you’re in. The same dangers exist in any dense area, even a beautiful one.

Skip The Bling

Those layers of necklaces might look cute on social media, but skip them as you walk on the street alone. Even the cheapest jewelry can draw attention if it is loud and clunky. If you are moving on foot, consider leaving your chunky baubles behind.

Prepare For The Worst And The Almost Worst

It would be ideal if everything went smoothly with your body while traveling, but just as it does at home, your physical self decides when it wants to act up. Travel also often leads to experimenting with new cuisine that may not agree with your body.

Prepare for minor emergencies by stashing items you might need in your bag. Purchase over-the-counter items like diarrhea medication, allergy pills, and sleep gummies. Update the emergency contact information on your smartphone so that if there is a larger emergency, the attending first responder can contact the people in your life who need to know what happened.

Looking for a place to go? Check out the top destinations for Black female solo travelers on TravelNoire.

The post The Black Woman’s Guide to Safe Summer Solo Traveling appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Probiotics and prebiotic beverages have increased in popularity in recent years. Several companies have begun offering over-the-counter probiotic and prebiotic products boasting benefits ranging from digestive improvements and improved mental health to cardiac wellness and clearer skin. Some even theorize that they can curb the likelihood of contracting common viruses.

Emphasis on gut health has swept the wellness world by storm. There are even lines of celebrity supplements with probiotic and prebiotic SKUs. People fill their coolers with brightly covered wellness drinks thinking they are a cure-all, but their advantages are complicated.

A 2020 article from Foods clarified that “The term” “health “benefit,” (often” stated on the label) is not a regulated specificity, nor has a clear medical meaning.” This has not stopped consumers from chasing after them by purchasing probiotics and prebiotic beverages (like Oilpop, Culture Pop, and Poppi). They are the cornerstone of the functional beverage market, joining protein shakes and collagen concussions as perceived miracle potions.

“The public awareness of diet-related issues and ever-increasing evidence about probiotic health benefits have increased consumer interest in probiotic foods,” according to a 2023 article in Frontiers in Microbiology.

That article expressed the importance of probiotics being administered in “adequate” quality.” Poppi,” a major player in the beverage industry, is facing legal challenges for their health claims in the form of a class-action suit that alleges that they did not infuse an adequate amount into each of their cans. Still, the amount of “adequate” can vary for each person.

The market has swelled to over ninety billion dollars despite this. “From an”industrial perspective, there are always challenges related to adding health-enhancing components, including probiotics, to food matrix,” according to Foods.

Not only are the benefits of probiotic beverages difficult to determine but there are potential risks associated with prebiotics and probiotics being examined by researchers. These can potentially be increased in select marginalized publics like those late in their pregnancies, immunocompromised individuals, and chronically ill children.

Dr. Janese S. Laster, a board-certified doctor in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Obesity Medicine, and Nutrition and the founder of Gut Theory Total Digestive Care in Washington, D.C., explained that probiotics and prebiotics are best introduced to a regimen that includes physicians.

She also said that more information is coming to the public about probiotics and prebiotics as efforts to design and execute productive studies are expanding.

We don’t have enough data and so there’s a bunch of research going on,” explained Dr. Laster. “But right now, we don’t have enough information to make a determination.”

What do you need to know about probiotics and prebiotics before using them?

Their usage affects everyone differently.

“We don’t know what that perfect makeup is. The only thing we know currently is that people who tend to be the healthiest people, people who have no GI symptoms, tend to have a really, really high diversity of all types,” said Dr. Laster. “We don’t know which is the perfect one each person needs. So that’s the big issue and what we’re trying to figure out and determine.”

There are different kinds of probiotics.

“Not all of them are created equal,” said Dr. Laster. “Most things won’t make it through to your small bowel where they can actually have some effects.”

Research the strain you are considering and discuss it with your doctors before working it into your diet.

Probiotics can be affected by heat.

The way you store your probiotics matters. Research best practices for how to store the probiotics you are taking so that you can obtain the most benefits from them.

Probiotics don’t outweigh a poor diet.

Chugging probiotic-infused soft drinks will not undo the damage caused by an unbalanced diet. (Think about integrating these 10 prebiotic foods into your diet.)

Dr. Laster declared that foods that are high in fiber, like certain fruits and leafy vegetables, are still crucial to achieving one’s health goals. “These are things that we know actually change the microbiome,” she said.

“If you put fertilizer on the ground with Cheetos, nothing’s growing,” she said. “But if you put it there with apple seeds, you’ll get an apple tree at some point. So it’s about sort of what you’re feeding your gut, and just having a probiotic on top of a diet that is completely processed isn’t going to do anything.

It’s difficult to tell what probiotics you lack.

Tests claiming to identify the perfect probiotic cocktail for you might not be entirely accurate. “There’s no real good ways to test that at this point,” said Dr. Laster. She noted that it’s important to understand that many of these tests have legal disclaimers explaining that they can not be used for medical management.

“People will go online and come and see us and say oh, I got this test done that I wasted $700 on, now you tell me what to do with it.”

The post Probiotic & Prebiotic Drinks Like Poppi Soda: Are They Worth The Hype? appeared first on Black Health Matters.

A 2023 study from the Journal of the American Medical Association confirmed that intersectionality also impacts these risks. It stated that “The combination of social identities, such as being Black and not having a college degree or being Latino and identifying as a sexual and gender minority individual, is associated with multiple layers of health-related disadvantage.”

These young people face challenges at every turn that require proper support, including “unique social stressors, including victimization and discrimination, as a result of their minority position.” Approaching these young people with care and consideration can leave them feeling more supported. We asked Live Out Loud Founder and Executive Director Leo Preziosi, Jr. for tips on supporting the LGBTQIA+ young people in your life.

Six Key Ways To Support The LGBTQIA+ Youth in Your Life

Educate Yourself On Your Own

Don’t expect the LGBTQIA+ children in your life to constantly be translating their experience to you. Take the time to try to learn as much as you can about what they are up against so that you can be a better-informed listener. You are responsible for working to obtain the language and tools needed to communicate with them. “It’s all about approaching communication and listening without judgment,” said Preziosi Jr. “It’s not the child’s job to educate. The parents or the teachers, and that happens. But it’s not their job.”

Find Community

There are likely other adults going on the journey you are. Connect with them away from the littles in your life so they don’t feel any undue pressure from your efforts. Look into resources like PFLAG and Okay, My Kid Is Gay. Family podcasts and books like The Conscious Parent are helpful as well.

Surround Them With Role Models

Integrate the stories of LGBTQ persons into what you’re teaching your child so they see themselves. Representation matters in all aspects of life. “One of the things that we do when we go into schools, we bring in LGBT role models to talk to students to really talk to students about their Journey about what it was like for them in school and how they, you know, came to understand who they were and accept who they were,” said Preziosi, Jr.

Meet Them Where They Are

Lean into opportunities to learn about their interests, no matter what they are. “It’s really getting to know your child and getting to know their interests, spending time with your child, and having conversations with your child,” said Preziosi, Jr.

This helps develop a safe space for them to be themselves at home.

Give Them Space To Come To You

Don’t be so excited to flaunt your parenting skills and emotional intelligence that you don’t leave room for the children in your life to communicate what they feel. “It has to be very organic. It has to be very, very natural,” Preziosi Jr. advised. “It’s really up to the child to start that type of conversation. You know, if you think your son or daughter is gay, You know, my advice is don’t approach it. Let them come to you; this is what we hear from our students,” he continued. “Don’t force it. Let it evolve naturally.”

Consider Seeking Another Voice

“Sometimes it’s great to bring someone else into the picture,” explained Preziosi, Jr. “That could be, um, a relative who could be a friend of the family and might be LGBT or an ally.” “A child speaking to their parents may not be the first step.”

It’s important to depersonalize their choice to discuss their feelings with others. The goal is to prioritize your child’s mental health and emotional safety, not your feelings. De-center yourself and focus on their experience.

“Give your child some space because they need to understand it for themselves and accept themselves, and they may do that through friends. They may do that through a counselor at school, they may do that through their GSA Club,” he added.

“Sometimes it’s just harder to have that conversation with your parents or siblings first.”

The post LGBTQIA+ Young People Face Higher Mental Health Risks (Here’s 6 Ways to Support Them) appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Last year, the American Medical Association addressed the prickly past of the BMI’s ascent from the gold standard in evaluating body composition, acknowledging it as an imperfect clinical measure that shouldn’t be used as the lone assessment tool. “The AMA recognizes issues with using BMI as a measurement due to its historical harm, its use for racist exclusion, and because BMI is based primarily on data collected from previous generations of non-Hispanic white populations,” they declared.

However, many physicians still use BMI as a metric in their charting. The BMI not only fails to maintain predictability when it is employed on an individual level, but it also has historical issues baked into its conception. It was not mindfully designed to consider diversity.

Acknowledging that BMI measures height and weight but does not evaluate fat distribution in a person’s body is helpful. Someone with an especially muscular frame could be miscategorized due to the failure of BMI to account for weight that does not fit its narrow limitations. Yale Medicine confirmed that “a person with lots of muscle and minimal body fat can have the same BMI as a person with obesity who has much less muscle.”

Dr. Scott-Winful noted theoretically that BMI may be a good place to begin a diagnosis. They are not comprehensive labels that require no explanation. “These broad categories of underweight, healthy weight, overweight can help serve as a starting point to be able to stratify if a patient potentially has a problem,” the physician certified in gastroenterology and obesity medicine explained.

The AMA recommended that physicians combine BMI with other measurements to assess the health of their patients fully. Doctors can also explain that while BMI is a widely adopted standard against which patient progress is measured, other options can help them understand their health.

Studies show that patients with higher BMIs are less respected than patients with a healthy weight, and physicians report seeing patients who are obese as less compliant and self-disciplined,” according to the British Journal of General Practice. Discussing the merits and the value of the BMI could help promote more effective dialogues.

Body Fat

One of the other measurement tools Dr Scott-Winful uses is body fat. This index changes for males versus females. “What’s acceptable for a female patient may be considered increased body fat in a male patient,” Dr Scott-Winful pointed out. “But it’s also important to note that you can have a normal Body Mass Index and have an elevated body fat percentage and still be pretty unhealthy.”

Waist Circumference

Dr. Scott-Winful’s third assessment with her patients is measuring their waist circumference. “Waist circumference is also an index that it’s important to look at primarily because this is one of the metrics associated with metabolic disease,” said Dr. Scott-Winful.

“Having a waist circumference in general of 35 in women and 40 in men can be associated with increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol. But it’s also important to note that that changes based on ethnic background,” she continued. So, for black patients, having a lower waist circumference is a cutoff as well as Latino and Asian patients, and this has been demonstrated in studies.”

But there are also some additional diagnostic tools worth exploring that will help physicians assess the health of their patients:

Waist-To-Hip Ratio

The Journal of American Medical Association established that “some individuals store proportionally more fat around their visceral organs (abdominal adiposity) than on their thighs and hip.” Research reported at Stockholm’s European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Stockholm, Sweden, suggested that an individual’s waist circumference might better indicate their overall health than their BMI.

This research is still being conducted, but it is a helpful way to illustrate a patient’s challenges. It’s also easy to measure.

Focusing on waist circumference also provides patients with information about visceral fat, which clings to one’s midsection.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Harvard’s School of Public Health labeled magnetic resonance imaging, also referred to as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, as a more sophisticated option for obtaining accurate body measurements. It provides the nuance that the BMI is missing by accounting for the “measurement of specific body fat compartments, such as abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat.”

There are detractors for this method. It requires expensive equipment, and it can not be conducted on pregnant people. Explain this to your patient if it is inappropriate and suggest other alternatives.

Relative Fat Mass

Scientific Reports published a study “compared with BMI, RFM had a more linear relationship with DXA (dual-energy X-ray) whole-body fat percentage among women.” This makes it a potential tool that could replace the BMI.

Moving beyond BMI will allow you to provide even better healthcare solutions for your patients.

Supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc. 

The post Weight and Measures: Accessing Patients Health Beyond BMI appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Gwen. Valencia, Associate Director, Global Patient Advocacy

Anaya, Myasthenia Gravis Patient Advocate

Rorey, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) Patient Advocate

Patient advocacy was discussed during this year’s Gwen Valencia, Associate Director, Global Patient Advocacy at Argenx. Valencia explained that part of the reason her firm participated in the discussion was to challenge the belief “that certain conditions don’t exist in certain communities.”

“We’re here to bring awareness to both of these two conditions but also just in general to autoimmune conditions because we know that sometimes the journey to diagnosis can be very long and very hard,” she said. According to the Autoimmune Association, “Autoimmunity is now one of the most common disease categories, ahead of cancer and heart disease,” and “on average, it takes 4.5 years and 4 physicians to receive a diagnosis.”

Both patient advocates shared their personal experiences and highlighted best practices for being an active participant in developing a treatment plan. They also noted that autoimmune conditions can infiltrate one’s life anytime, from early adolescence to mid-adulthood.

Anaya first noticed an issue with her body as a young student-athlete. “I would be playing sports, and I would just fall like fully laid out, and I would try to get up, and it’s my body was like concrete to the ground,” she said. The condition progressed. “It got to the point where I couldn’t chew or talk because my jaw muscles were so weak,” she continued. “My parents and I came together and decided something is wrong. It’s not something that’s run of the mill.”

Rorey was practicing law when symptoms showed up in his life. “I was at the point where I couldn’t carry groceries when I would try to carry groceries. I would drop them, or my arms would get weak. My skin would burn from head to toe. Like somebody just had put me in a fire,” he said. “That just broke me.”

After a lifetime of dealing with difficulties, including socio-economic disadvantages and living in foster care, he thought he could handle anything on his own, but this required help from other sources. “This was the first time in my life where I was not in control,” he said.

Anaya expressed disappointment at the way the doctors attempting to treat her chose to speak with the adults in her life instead of her. “Some doctors only spoke to my mother and never spoke to me to tell them what was going on with me, and that was so frustrating because She can’t tell you what’s happening,” she said.

Before locating a specialist familiar with her rare condition, she was dismissed by multiple physicians. “One doctor told my parents that I was just in such emotional distress about my life that it was playing out in my body, and they just needed to put me in therapy, and that would help, and I think that was the first time where I realized that this road would be very, very long,” Anaya continued.

Rorey used his legal skills when doctors could not explain what was happening with his limbs. Deducing that he needed a neurologist, he found one committed to figuring out his problem. “I found this doctor on my own, and thank God that I did because he was the preeminent doctor in neuromuscular diseases,” he said. After multiple painful tests, including a needle biopsy, he received a diagnosis.

He worked to communicate with his doctors and to get them to communicate with each other. “At some point, we all agreed that we were partners,” he said. “I wasn’t just a patient anymore. I was a partner with them.”

Anaya’s rare condition is even rarer in young people. “I was the youngest patient he had ever had by over 30 years. So, everything we did from that point forward, I was a guinea pig. There was no precedent,” she said. She devotes her time to advocating for young people to be included in the communities established around dealing with Myasthenia Gravis. “Young people are left out of the Myasthenia community,” she said. She advocated for herself with the school system and attended college despite being discouraged from doing so.

As time moved on, she became a partner in her own care.

“For me, being so young, I had to remember that my mom isn’t always at a doctor’s appointment with me. I need to be able to speak to these figures and take it out of my head that these all-knowing beings can also be just as confused as I am, and it’s okay to ask them questions,” she said.

“It’s okay to expect things from them.”

The post Untold Stories: Life with a Severe Autoimmune Condition appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Presented by:Kemi Osundina

 Lead Director Of U.S Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy Transplant Lead At Sanofi

Alana H., Two-Time Kidney Living Donor Recipient

Reggie C. Living Kidney Donor

Kemi Osundina, Lead Director Of U.S Public Affairs, Patient Advocacy Transplant Lead At Sanofi, sat in conversation with Alana H., a two-time kidney recipient from living donors, and her husband Reggie C. about the critical information Black people need to know about living donor kidney transplants at the Black Health Matters Spring Summit.

The summit was held in Washington, D.C., an area of the nation with a remarkably high rate of kidney disease.

Osundina described Sanofi’s commitment to providing patients and potential donors with the information needed to save their lives. “Our kidney transplant connectors program combines education and first-hand stories for those on the waitlist or considering a donation, and we help them to understand their options and take action,” she said. “The program is available in person or as a live webinar, and each program is provided by one recipient and one donor who share their personal stories, as well as educational information, the importance of self-advocacy, and tips on talking to your friends and family about the process.”

She acknowledged the challenges faced by Black patients seeking care.

“There are many transplant disparities and unique barriers for African Americans to gain access to a transplant. Most people that need a transplant can’t get one and, unfortunately, out of the more than 100,000 people on the waitlist that are waiting for a life-saving transplant, nearly 30 percent are from the Black community,” said Osundina. She also explained what she believed to be one of the causes of this harrowing statistic. “One of the reasons is low health literacy. Fifty-seven percent of African Americans have less understanding of basic Health Care information than our white counterparts.”

Another reason is systemic biases. According to data collected from the United Network for Organ Sharing database, “Published reports show that Black patients are less likely to be referred for transplant evaluation” and “are delayed in transplantation registration, progress slower through the waiting list, and are ultimately less likely to receive a transplant compared to the non-Hispanic white population.”

Diagnosed with Kidney disease at just thirteen years old, Alana received her first kidney from her brother. Later in life, she was disappointed to learn that she would need another transplant to continue thriving. She and her husband had a backup plan in case of this.

“It was important to pursue a Black kidney donor because we will have more markers that will match,” she said.

This time, as an adult woman, she actively participated in developing her treatment plan.

She was also willing to share her story to save others.

“When I learned that Blacks were 25 less likely to be waitlisted on a kidney transplantation. Um, I knew that I wanted to be an advocate and speak out for that. Being on the waitlist for an extended period of time means more time on dialysis, and more time on dialysis can affect the outcome of your transplanted kidney,” she said.

Her husband Reggie was initially rejected as a donor, and he walked the audience through the actions he took to qualify, including lifestyle changes to a renal-friendly diet. “All my tests came back normal, except for my angiogram and come to find out. I suffer from kidney stones,” he said. “But due to some self-advocacy, we could overcome that obstacle.”

Reggie revealed how having access to another living donor informed his actions as a donor. “I was fortunate that her brother actually was her first donor. So, I was blessed now to be able to see the process through him. So it made my decision to be a donor that much easier,” he said.

Alana interjected to share how the couple advocated for their family to facilitate the transplant through persistence.

“You may not be a medical professional, you may not have a PhD, but I say get a PhD in properly handling your disease,” said Alana. “If your primary care doctor is not meeting your needs, find another one.”

Learn more about the Sanofi kidney transplant connectors program here.

The post Living Life Beyond Dialysis: What You Should Know About Living Donor Kidney Transplant appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Here are the ten things we do not like about our doctors and how we would like them to improve.

They withhold the context of information.

A patient’s test results may be part of the doctor’s job, but they can be life-changing for the person on the other end of the call. The 21st Century Cures Act may have forced practitioners to offer results sooner, but delivering them without context can be jarring for recipients. Relying on digital portals without taking care to add a human component is a huge mistake.

They only focus on one aspect of your health.

It has been documented that a preoccupation with one condition can lead to misdiagnosis. For example, some healthcare practitioners are so focused on patient weight that they ignore complaints in other areas. Sometimes, their refusal to see what impacts a patient’s health can stop them from progressing in the area they are focused on. Making recommendations requires considering the whole picture to be safe.

They lack empathy.

Bedside manners are crucial to creating and maintaining a solid doctor-patient relationship, especially if that patient is managing a chronic condition, whether they have obesity or prediabetes. What works for a doctor may not work for a patient, so doctors must find a way to empathize with their patients to treat them properly. Judging a patient for non-compliance without taking the time to consider what their day-to-day life is like is ineffective and demoralizing. Without empathy, it is hard to establish trust. “Doctors are the only people on the planet who have the idea that you can tell people, ‘Here, work on this every day, and I’ll see you in two or three months,” said Dr. Steven Feldman, MD, PhD, in a study published by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

They are dismissive.

There is nothing worse than pouring out your struggles to have them dismissed. Black people, and Black women in particular, are commonly misdiagnosed even when their symptoms are glaring. Dismissing patient concerns is not how to gain their trust and resolve their issue.

They don’t explain themselves.

Spending your life around medical jargon can make you immune to how it sounds to a layperson. Doctors need to practice relaying information digestibly so patients can understand them clearly. The need for healthcare literacy is so personal. Northwestern and the CDC have created programs designed for professionals to learn how to speak with their audiences.

They don’t listen to us.

A study published by the Irish Journal of Medical Science found that perceiving their physician as unwilling to listen to them was a significant reason that people opted to change caretakers. The doctor might be the medical expert, but we are the experts on ourselves, so our voices must be heard.

They show their biases.

Systemic issues start at the person-to-person level. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but placing them front and center can be alienating regarding patient care. However, doctors must ask themselves if invisible bias impacts their medical advice.

They lack availability.

Work-life balance is important, but failing to have options for your patients can lead to them skipping out on essential appointments or seeking other options. It is highly stressful to schedule a follow-up with your physician only to learn they are not available for months. Failing to create flexible patient scheduling options means you do not value their time.

They are often behind schedule.

When patients finally book an appointment, they are treated to the joy of squatting in a waiting room until the doctor is available. According to a report from CBS News, “The average time you spend waiting at the doctor’s office is 24 minutes.” The courtesy we’re expected to extend to doctors goes the other way to us. There are instances where we have been turned away when we’ve been ten minutes late. Punctuality is part of professionalism, even for doctors in the medical field.

They have an inefficient office culture.

If everyone in a doctor’s office is not on the same page, it creates patient issues. It is not uncommon for patients to fill out all the necessary paperwork for their appointment ahead of time, but they are asked to do it again when they reach the office. One person taking a sick day or being unable to navigate a system should not completely upend the patient’s experience with your office. This needs to change.

The post 10 Things Patients Don’t Like About Their Doctors appeared first on Black Health Matters.

“The practice of “doctor shopping” among overweight patients may be a result of negative experiences with the health care system, whether that be off-putting comments by office staff, unsolicited weight loss advice by providers, or improperly sized medical equipment and office furniture, says Kimberly A. Gudzune, M.D. M.P.H., an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, led the study.

In subsequent research, Gudzune noted that clinicians might avoid performing exams on patients with obesity, encounter technical difficulties, and feel unprepared when it comes to training to treat patients with obesity, and as a result, weight loss counseling became a lower priority when talking to their patients. These further impact patients who avoid screenings for cancers, from pap tests to mammograms to colonoscopies.

To find the right provider, patients might have to research before committing. The doctor-patient relationship is integral to the pursuit of their overall health. As a doctor, you should help foster a safe space to manage their healthcare concerns and your goals for them. This safe space must include all people, including those who have obesity.

Conduct a SWOT analysis to determine if your practice can be someone’s healthcare home. They are generally used to evaluate a business’ pitfalls and successes. However, this tool can be applied to any decision. In this case, it helps you approach the process methodically and dispassionately to consider what is most important to your patient.

Any patient-doctor relationship can be measured using it. This SWOT analysis will help you estimate your practice and its ability to treat different types of patients. Here’s what to consider in your SWOT analysis:

Strengths

Presenting yourself as an open slate is a strength. Please don’t make assumptions about your patient feelings or self-esteem.

• Black women have embraced their curves for years and feel more confident. Don’t detract from that. Focus on the facts instead. “Compared to women of other racial/ethnic groups, overweight and obese Black women exhibit acceptance of a larger body size,” according to Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports. Acknowledge that and use it to connect with them. Be congenial without being overly familiar.
• Learn how to market your empathy as a plus to potential patients.
• Your knowledge is a strength as well. Share the kinds of things you have learned in continuing education.
• Is there clinical equipment or a soothing environment that can make your space feel more comfortable and inviting for patients?
• Can you ensure that some chairs and robes fit them?
• Is your location convenient for the type of patients you treat?
• Do you have hours that will work with their schedule?

Start to think about the demographics of the people you treat and how you can show your support for them through consideration.

• Ask them what their communication style is. Learn how different styles work with your own.
• Work to ensure patients feel comfortable talking to you about everything, including their weight. A joint study by the Monash Business School and the Texas A&M University found that patients have difficulty asserting themselves due to a perceived “imbalance of power between the patient and medical staff.”
• Ask them if they feel like there are subjects they want to discuss. They want to tell you but can’t. Ask them if they would like someone else in the room, a friend or family member, or on FaceTime. Or offer one of your nurses. It will lead to more effective treatment.

Weaknesses

The use of the words obese and obesity can be triggering, and according to one study, it felt discriminatory to Black patients.

• Those who have obesity have seen how it leads to stigma when it comes to healthcare.
• Providers spend up to 28% less time with overweight patients, limiting patients’ ability to relay symptoms and seek solutions. That fact should inform your care.
• It’s important to know what you know and don’t know as a doctor, especially when treating someone facing stigmas. Before accepting a new patient, ask yourself if you are familiar with treating patients who share their lifestyle and concerns. Ask yourself if you give this advice to anyone in their circumstance or if you are jumping to conclusions based on looks.
• Ask your patient what their preferred language choices are and stick to them.
• Consider your language carefully. Familiarize yourself with the ways that terms and tools are evolving. This is particularly useful when discussing weight with patients.
• Before referring to the Body Mass Index, consider how it was created and who informed the research. Acknowledge its limitations so that you can establish trust. An Oxford University study found that “subtle aspects of communication, like word choice and tone of voice, influenced patient outcomes” in the weight loss arena. The AMSA has recommended physicians reconsider how they discuss weight. Exercise caution and consider your patient’s viewpoint.

How can you make this doctor-patient relationship benefit your patient’s life? Are you doing everything you need to ensure information flows two ways? How can you grow as a healthcare provider?

Dr. Courtney Whittle, MD, M.S.W. Diplomate of ABOM, acknowledges how patients react to doctors bluntly and rudely discussing their weight. Because culturally, our thickness might be celebrated in some circles while it may be deemed unhealthy in others, the shift can be jarring. “How many of us have gone to the doctor, heard someone bring up our weight, and been ready to take our earrings off,” she asked the audience during the Black Health Matters Winter 2024 Health Summit & Expo, who swiftly recognized the scenario.

“Weight is personal, and although you may be their physician, your questions can seem invasive,” the doctor continued. When listening to patient complaints about their ailments, do not dismiss them with a terse instruction to do more cardio or cut carbs. Listen closely and make sure you are doing so consistently and respectfully. The patient is not the enemy. You’re supposed to be working together.

If you sense your patient suspects bias, ask your patient if they are comfortable sharing their concerns with you and trusting that you will take them seriously. Most importantly, you must listen to them and take in any evidence they provide with an open mind. Please don’t belittle them.

Opportunities

Recent research reveals the importance of the 5A model (ask, assess, advise, agree, assist/arrange) in delivering meaningful consultations in weight management for patients with obesity. The study authors note patients with obesity often want to help set goals of losing 5 to 10% but have difficulty talking about their weight.  “The 5A model also effectively improves physician-patient communication, patient motivation, and healthcare practitioner confidence in counseling patients.”

The 5A model is multifaceted and would require training if you want to incorporate it into your practice, but it is something to consider if you have a large percentage of patients who have obesity.

When audio tapes were analyzed in the University of Oxford study, they found it was not just the words that mattered but tone and delivery when talking to patients with obesity. When weight loss referrals were given with neutrality or highlighted health issues, only 50% of participants participated in a weight loss program offered. But when it was framed as good news, there was 83% program participation.

Threats

Ask yourself what issues arise from working with you as a healthcare provider.

Review your previous charts and highlight any notes you made that could be misconstrued. Patients have access to these notes. They are a helpful tool but “may also cause patients to feel judged or offended.”

• The New York Times reported that an analysis of outpatient clinic records published in JAMA Open Network on stigmatizing language with terms that used combative, argumentative, failed, and noncompliant on charts of diabetic patients, 3.15 percent of those terms were in charts of Black patients versus 2.6 of them of white patients.
• Revisit remarks you make that are taken out of context. Keep a file of comments and complaints and check them regularly. Learn how you can do better.

These can stem from complicated factors like a potential lack of cultural competency to more practical issues like their office’s distance from your home or workplace.

• Will they struggle with parking, filling them with dread every time they have to pop over for a follow-up?
•  Are there unconscious biases you are unaware you and your staff need to uncover when it comes to obesity?

According to Gudzune, patients with obesity have a 68% greater incidence of emergency room visits, not because it leads to hospitalization, but because they don’t have the continuous care of a primary care physician.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that “weight bias often is implicit and beyond physicians’ immediate awareness, making it difficult to identify and remedy.

Current Psychology reports, “Empathy is crucial in healthcare required to develop healthy and effective patient communication.” This is more crucial in larger patients.

With the right perspective and environment, your obese patients will be more likely to view their unhealthy weight as a medical concern and work with you toward solutions.

Supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc. 

The post SWOT Analysis: How To Identify the Power and Pitfalls of Your Medical Practice appeared first on Black Health Matters.

CISCRP

Presented By:

Dr. Patrick O. Gee, Healthcare Consultant and Community activist

Sandy Powell, Community Engagement Research AdvocateHope Ventricelli,

Senior Manager, Community Events and Programs, CISCRP

Yejide Obisesan, Administrative Director at Georgetown-Howard Universities

Center for Clinical and Translational Science

Information empowers patients and researchers. Dr. Patrick O. Gee, Healthcare Consultant and Community activist; Sandy Powell, Community Engagement Research Advocate; Hope Ventricelli, Senior Manager, Community Events and Programs, CISCRP; and Yejide Obisesan, Administrative Director at Georgetown-Howard University, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, discussed this at the Black Health Matters Spring Summit.

Gee was motivated to participate in advocacy after being told why he was passed over for a clinical trial by a healthcare professional. Ventricelli inquired about his experiences.

“I was rejected from the study, and when I asked why she made this exact statement, he who owns the data owns the patient, and Patrick, you can’t be in the trial because we can’t get any money,” he told the audience. “That was very devastating to hear since that was the very first time that I was able or wanted to participate in a clinical trial.”

It was hurtful, but it added context to his clinical experience. “Your data is money. Medical companies make money off of your data because they will sell it to other researchers without your permission. Make sure when you sign the dotted line, you reread it, you take your time. If the trials team is trying to rush, you get up and walk away,” he advised. “You don’t want to end up being the next Henrietta Lacks or being a part of an egregious clinical trial.”

He has studied the details of trials to advocate for himself and suggests others do the same. “One of the things that people should know before they begin with a trial is to do research on the trial,” he said.

“One of the keys for me has been to ask questions, and that’s one of the things that I think we have been accustomed to someone spewing information at us, and we’ve been hesitant to ask those questions, and so on the front end, I’m asking questions.”

Obisesan reminded the audience that they are in control of their data. “You get to read that informed consent and go through it for as long as you want. And you can ask any questions if there’s a word that you don’t understand or if a timeline or something doesn’t make sense, you can ask any questions, and also you’re allowed to take that informed consent sheet with you,” she said.

Powell shared her own experience with rejection. “I have attempted to participate in three clinical trials. I have not been accepted as a result of the data that they were looking for,” she said. She uses her own clinical experience to advocate on both sides of the research spectrum. She could seek to improve patient-researcher relations with perspective.

“One of the things that I’ve had an opportunity to do through the patients’ program is to look at it on the back end through the lens of a researcher that’s looking to do it but also able to lend a voice on the other side of the fence as part of the community,” she said. “I’ve had an opportunity to sit in some of those panels to actually lend a voice to that.”

She described how she has been able to contribute by helping to facilitate helpful interactions that provide aid to potential participants before asking for their time and energy.

“We go into communities, and we’re not going looking for anything. We’re not asking for anything, but we’re going to see how we can be of assistance to the community, and some of the things that we’ve been able to do, as a result of that, through the program is provide transportation services for the community,” she said. Her teams have also provided food and other benefits “before we turn around and say, hey, we need you for some clinical information.”

Obisesan agreed that changing methods can change outcomes. “There can be, I’d say, a mild naivete and a lack of understanding in what it really means to approach a community and ask them to participate in research, especially communities that are underrepresented in research and they’re underrepresented for a lot of historical reasons,” she said.

“There can also be a paternalistic approach to coming to communities about education,” she added.

She recommends respecting “the knowledge and the history that community members have and approaching them like a partner with humility.”

Obisesan agreed that changing methods can change outcomes. “There can be, I’d say, a mild naivete and a lack of understanding in what it really means to approach a community and ask them to participate in research, especially communities that are underrepresented in research and they’re underrepresented for a lot of historical reasons,” she said.

“There can also be a paternalistic approach to coming to communities about education,” she added.

She recommends respecting “the knowledge and the history that community members have and approaching them like a partner with humility.”

“That makes a difference in communities coming in and saying, I do want to be involved,” she continued.

The post Taking Control of Our Health: Information That Empowers appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Presented By Nick Taylor. Director, Lead, US Public Affairs & Patient Advocacy Sanofi

Dr. Margaret Alabi, Director, US & Global Patient Advocacy

Elise, Prurigo Nodularis Patient Advocate

Dr. Margaret Alabi, Director of US & Global Patient Advocacy, led a discussion with Nick Taylor, Director Lead of US Public Affairs & Patient Advocacy Sanofi, and Elise, a Prurigo Nodularis Patient Advocate, discussed what it is like to live with prurigo nodularis at the Black Health Matters Spring Summit.

“This chronic skin disorder is marked by the emergence of itchy hard nodules that can cover vast areas of the skin, leading not only to physical discomfort but also significant psychological distress. The itching is relentless, sometimes worsening at night, making it difficult for sufferers to find relief,” said Taylor.

“This conversation is about empathy support and the collective effort to bring awareness and visibility to Stories like Elise’s,” said Dr. Alabi. “By sharing these experiences, we aim to build Bridges of compassion and understanding for this condition and hopefully. Create an encouraging and supportive community that recognizes the depth of the impact of prurigo nodularis on the lives of the persons who navigate this condition daily.”

Elise initially thought her prurigo nodularis was something else. “The summer of 2014. I had what resembled a mosquito bite. So, I did what I would normally do to treat a mosquito bite,” she said. “But from that one bump, It eventually LED and spread to more bumps forming; it just wasn’t getting better. Eventually, it spread down my arm to the next arm, spread from my legs, and all the way up my back. So it was all over my body.” Aloe and lotions failed to offer her relief, so she sought medical care.

There would be a significant time until she got answers. “The first dermatologist I went to probably took two minutes with me. Literally two minutes, he looked at my skin, and he told me I had scabies,” she said. Her training as an esthetician helped her reject that inaccurate diagnosis. She knew what scabies looked like because she had studied it. The doctor was wrong.

The misdiagnoses continued, as did the unbearable itching caused by the condition. She turned to hairbrushes to try and calm the discomfort as doctors fumbled her case.

“It continued to spread, and on the third visit, he told me I had dermatitis. So I’m like, okay, we’re not getting anywhere,” she said. Her journey continued through a path of more misinformation.

“Took a little break and went to another dermatologist. He diagnosed me with keratosis pilaris, and that was getting nowhere. So I went to another dermatologist, they said I had eczema,” she said.

“I found it difficult to find a specialist, not only one familiar with prurigo nodularis but one who dealt with a diagnosis like mine,” Elise continued. “So I didn’t receive my prurigo nodularis diagnosis until about three years later.”

The doctor she found in 2017 tested her skin instead of spewing a diagnosis after a sideways glance. “The first time I visited her. She said, okay, let’s do a biopsy,” said Elise. “Why didn’t anybody else do this? We could have cut out three years of me searching, and it’s spreading.”

She revealed how the visibility of the disease was one of the most upsetting aspects. “I don’t want to show off my skin. I don’t want to be seen as disgusting or [have] people. Looking at me weird,” she said.

Her coworkers tried to offer her encouragement, but they could not relate to her feelings, as she had lived into adulthood without this condition and now had to deal with its constant presence.

Elise explained how the average person’s lack of a reference point about her condition impacted her workplace. “I remember just a couple instances where I had clients that were uncomfortable with me touching them, and I had to reassure them I had to reassure them. I’m not contagious,” she said.

“Having this skin condition just reaffirmed as a human race that we need to treat people how we want to be treated. Put yourself in my shoes if you can, and try to people treat people a little bit more kindly.”

Elise finds comfort in a community like many people with chronic conditions. “Knowing that I’m not alone and that I have somebody walking in my shoes, it does help a little bit because I can talk with them,” she said.

The post Living With Prurigo Nodularis appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Presented By: Matthew L. Boyd, Pharm.D. Senior Oncology Medical Science Liaison

Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine

Matthew L. Boyd, Pharm.D., shared information on efforts to diversify clinical trials at the Black Health Matters Spring Summit. He spoke from personal experience. “I work with a lot of those community and academic institutions to bring our innovative trials to those institutions to support and take care of patients, hopefully,” he said.

He revealed that of the 24 out of 31 trials approved between 2015 and 2017, “less than five percent of them had Black or African-American enrollment.”

“So, think about that, all the cancers that we particularly treat from non-small cell, lung cancer to prostate cancer, to multiple myeloma, which disproportionately affects African Americans and Black patients, less than five percent of those,” he continued. “We cannot just be okay with that number being where it’s at.”

He acknowledged that the medical establishment has not always respected minority communities. This has led to significant mistrust among certain demographics.

“That leads to African Americans and minorities being less likely to go to their doctor,” he said. “There’s a lot of mistrust opportunities there.”

He described other hurdles to engaging diverse participants as well. “We also have some communication barriers. We know that many of our health systems are based in what can be described as almost redlined areas,” he continued.

Dr. Boyd explained the steps that need to be taken to engage those people. “You’ve got to travel there,” he said before pointing out other factors contributing to the staggering statistics. He emphasized the importance of “being able to talk to patients directly where they are in their neighborhoods and having opportunities to engage with patient populations and community leaders.”

Mistrust and redlining are not the only issues affecting diversity rates.

“There’s a lack of diversity within our healthcare institution as well,” he said. “So the position that you’re seeing, the nurse that’s going to be treating you, the phlebotomist that’s going to be drawing your blood, do they look like you?

Is that someone you can talk to, someone you can trust to tell you what’s currently happening?”

Misunderstandings about financial commitments can deter patient participation. They can avoid seeking care and information because they assume they will be charged.

“One of the things that sometimes people are not told or are not counseled on is that many of the clinical trials I work in are fully funded. Meaning you are going to get that medication for free. You don’t have to pay for it,” he said.

Assistance with enrollment allows potential participants to make an informed decision.

“You’re enrolled in it. We’re collecting data on it. But you get that treatment for free.

One of the things that we’re also doing is ensuring that those items are passed down on to patients so that you’re informed that you’re getting that treatment for free so that people can talk you through enrollment,” he said.

The Research Includes Me initiative has a website that clearly defines the parts of a clinical trial.

Dr. Boyd and his colleagues consider “the convenience factor” as well, knowing that practical concerns can prevent a patient from seeking care. “It’s very hard for a mom or dad who has just received this particular diagnosis to say, I’m going to be enrolled in this clinical trial, and I’m going to go take all these labs, and I’m going to go and deal with the parking situation,” he said.

“The logistical burden that patients have to go through. That’s been a big factor that’s led to enrolled patients, who then decide I will no longer be enrolled because there are too many appointments.”

The next phase in intentional inclusion in clinical research is building partnerships with institutions prepared to serve different types of people. Providing them with the proper resources to extend their offerings is imperative.

“It means going to different institutions, helping them build out the infrastructure to actually be able to do research at that particular institution, providing grant funding to hire and train people,” he said. Learn more about Research Includes Me here.

The post Diversity and Inclusion in Clinical Trials appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Presented by: Sherell McDearmon,

Director, State Strategic Alliances at Bristol Myers Squibb

Congressman Glen Ivey

Dr. Jennifer L. Ellis

Sherell McDearmon, Congressman Glen Ivey, and Dr. Jennifer L. Ellis advocated for civic engagement to promote healthcare access during the Black Health Matters Spring Summit.

“We are all gathered here today to embark on a journey that delves into the fabric of the community’s health landscape, understanding that reliable access to healthy food and medical care in a safe environment are the basics for good health,” said McDearmon. “Many of you know the surprising fact that your ZIP code has more impact on your health outcomes than your DNA,” she told the audience as they shook their head at the disturbing fact. She shared information about the grants issued to advocacy groups on behalf of Bristol Myers Squibb to help patients practically handle barriers to treatment.

“Every day, in every state, every city, including here in Washington DC and every country worldwide. Patients are waiting. They’re waiting for relief from the fears and burdens of illness and disease. They need hope, hope that tomorrow will bring Improvement and change,” she said. “BMS is proud to have committed grants to independent patient advocacy groups, community-based and faith-based organizations, medical societies, and healthcare nonprofits to start and expand community health worker and patient navigation programs,” McDearmon continued.

“Grants to independent organizations assist patients with social care needs, such as transportation to clinics financial, assisting assistance, housing, healthy food, as well as guiding them passionately through complex, clinical care Journeys.”

The Congressman approached the crowd with extreme vulnerability. He discussed his difficulty with managing his diet and the challenges experienced by his family members as well.

“I wanted to be clear that I’m not talking down to anybody here. I ain’t better than anybody in here. A lot of the things we’re trying to do through these policy outreach efforts are aimed at people just like me who are doing things that are slowly killing ourselves, and we need to change that path,” he told the audience.

He acknowledged the gravity of the situation for Black people facing medical bias and other systemic issues.

“Our whole community needs to get serious,” added Congressman Ivey. “Conferences like this are a huge step in the right direction.” He explained how state lawmakers determine who can access care in their districts. “It’s different for us. So we have to make sure that the people in charge, whether it’s in politics or heading up the health care system or running hospitals, they have to know that we will hold them accountable,” he said.

Dr. Ellis described how one patient she encountered was so desperate to acknowledge her discomfort that she went to desperate lengths to obtain the attention of the professional entrusted with her care. Facing the stigma of mental illness exasperated the patient’s situation.

“She thought she was having a heart attack. So she pulled the fire alarm because no one was coming to help her,” said the doctor. It turns out the patient’s desperation saved her life. She was indeed having a heart attack. She spent three days in the hospital without treatment.

The doctor also advised the women in the audience to familiarize themselves with the ways heart attack symptoms differ in women. “This audience is a little bit more female than male. So, one of the other things with women is. We get into trouble because sometimes our heart attacks are presented differently,” she said. She also recognized that other diseases like anorexia are not absent in the Black community, but they show up in different forms.

Dr. Ellis recommended relying on repetition to seek better outcomes with the flawed system as change scrolls in. She noted how emergency room doctors could fail to assess patients accurately due to narrow training and subconscious biases. Dr. Ellis suggested asking pointed questions like “Could it be my heart,” repeatedly even if you are being dismissed by the practitioner you are speaking to.

“They’re not doing this on purpose. They are not bad people. That ER doc is just a product of the environment and his upbringing; he is not hurting you on purpose. But he is not necessarily thinking that you have heart disease because that’s not in his matrix. So, part of our job is to educate him a little bit,” she said.

The post From Awareness to Action: The Power of Advocacy in Health Equity appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Dr. Camille Adam Jones, Psychotherapist and Wellness Advocate

Roslyn Young-Daniels, Founder and CEO of Black Health Matters

Lamman Rucker Film and Television Star

Roslyn Young-Daniels spearheaded a spirited conversation about mental health in the Black community after the Black Health Matters Spring 2024 summit.

They emphasized the need for transparency and unity.

“This has been an ongoing effort by people in our field to silence the shame and to remove the stigma in mental health concerns in the Black community,” said Adam Jones. She connected health issues that face deep stigma in society to the need for mental health care. “Substance abuse, domestic violence. You know, all of these are often rooted in mental unwellness,” she continued.

Many of these were discussed at length during the national social distancing spurred by COVID-19. “The isolation in COVID allowed everybody to say what is happening worldwide.”

The trio discussed the need for intersectionality in these discussions.

Young-Daniels expressed a desire to include more Black men in conversations about their health and wellness and that of their loved ones. “Now, if you look around this room, it is dominantly women,” she said. “So I asked Lamar, what can you say to our brothers so they feel encouraged to come? And he said, make a place for them at the table.”

Rucker, a host at the Summit, was initially supposed to introduce the two experts and bow out, but he felt welcome to participate because of their warm exchanges and the vibrant audience. “He’s making sure we’re making a place at the table in this discussion,” Young-Daniels added.

The world may have sped back up, and the mask mandates may have been lifted, but the need for mental health care remains more urgent than ever.

Dr. Adams-Jones described how she put her physical health at risk due to an inability to slow down and prioritize. When she was experiencing a medical emergency, her husband told her, “Camille, just stop.”

Her brain would not let her absorb the advice or set the boundaries she needed.

It was difficult for her to pause even while panicking. “I did not know how, and then we got to the hospital, and it was a Black nurse, and I’m texting work. I’m dealing with an HR nightmare, and she says, let me ask you something. Is that text message worth your tomorrow,” she recalled. The question was sobering.

What she was experiencing was a rash onset of superwoman syndrome, something that plagues many Black women. “I believe, in part, we must own some of this. We gotta take the S off our chest and stop trying to be Superwoman,” said Dr. Lowry Lomas.

Rucker described similar pressures men face, who are less likely to gather to discuss it the way women do. “Things are just as real for us, too, and we don’t often know what to do; we don’t have anybody to talk to, even you. You live with us, you’ve birthed us, you’re our sister, you’re our lover, our grandmother. We can’t talk to you; you don’t know how to talk to us, and when we talk to you, you don’t listen,” he said.

He expressed his perspective on the gaps in communication between men and women, stating that men desire a safe space even if they don’t always show it.

“We need you, we want you, trust me, don’t let none of these dudes tell you. They don’t want to be with somebody. We are doing our best to act. Like we don’t need you and focusing on all this, other superficial foolishness, all its fake swag, all this stuff,” he said. “It’s a lie. But that’s our defense mechanism. That’s also how many of us are socialized. Don’t fall into that trap.”

Dr. Adam Jones recommended looking inward before prioritizing romance and creating space for yourself. “As a therapist, I have so many people out here dating who are unavailable to date, brokenness, so thick. Just grieving hard, just nothing fixed, nothing unpacked,” she said.

“What you were doing is just contaminating someone else’s life, producing toxicity to raise children, amongst bringing this grief into the entire community,” she continued.

“When you decide to say, I’m unavailable, I’m gonna sit in the house. You’re doing a community service and a self-care service for yourself.”

The post Your Mental Health: Setting Boundaries Unapologetically appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Presented By JaBaris D. Swain, Medical Executive, Health Systems Integration

The Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

Dr. Shelina Ramnarine, Director Of Our Race To Health Equity Community Engagement at Johnson Johnson

Dr. JaBaris D. Swain and Dr. Shelina Ramnarine highlighted how inclusive medical illustrations can aid confidence and trust in healthcare professionals at the Black Health Matters Spring Summit.

They began by asking the audience how often they have encountered medical imagery that reflects them. The response was predictably underwhelming. “Imagine how challenging it must be when you go into the doctor to get care and you’re not even represented in that setting,” said Dr. Ramnarine.

“Forty-seven percent of dermatologists and dermatological residents in the U.S. thought their training was inadequate for preparing them to identify and treat conditions on dark skin. That’s a high percentage. That’s almost half,” she continued. “We have another statistic that says 64.6 percent of medical respondents note that access to inclusive medical illustrations would significantly help them diagnose and treat patients of color.”

She stressed the value of a proper education. “We need to ensure that all medical professionals that we see can treat Black and Hispanic patients.”

Dr. Ramnarine noted that increasing the rate of professionals entering the field with this knowledge would also be useful. “Patients of color, we know, are more likely to seek help from practitioners that look like them because they can understand and relate. They know what things look like on that skin, so we do a lot of work diversifying the pipeline of healthcare professionals.”

She explained how Johnson & Johnson is helping to change the materials available to educate doctors and students. “Illustrate Change is an initiative to build the largest medical library of medical illustrations. So, it started with 25 illustrations and some research we were doing on maternal mortality in Atlanta. We were trying to understand why the rates of maternal mortality are higher in Black women. One of the things that came out of the market research was that patients didn’t feel seen when they went to the doctor’s office because no imagery represented them,” said Dr. Ramnarine.

She shared that these resources are free and accessible. “These illustrations are available on the website free of use. For those of you who may work at a health center or individuals who are patient-facing, advocate organizations, the illustrations are available to download and use in whatever setting you like.”

The illustrations aid patients as well. “If you’re a patient and you’re trying to understand what something looks like for me, and we know that breast cancer, for example, is different in black women, they tend to get triple-negative breast cancer. You want illustrations that you can relate to and look like that on your skin,” she said. “When patients see themselves depicted in medical illustrations, they feel understood.”

Dr. Swain, who helped work on the site, demonstrated the need for the initiative by asking for audience participation. “I challenge everyone if to take a moment to Google psoriasis,” he said. “When you do it, all the images will be of White skin.”

“Think about when you go to a physician or a dermatologist, and you show them your hand or show them, pull up your shirt and show them a rash, you know, a lot of them will have to go to a medical resource, to try to identify what the rash is but the overwhelming majority of those resources are depicted on white skin,” he continued. He recounted a childhood story to drive home further his point. “This sounds crazy, but I remember when I was growing up, a young woman had a darker complexion on the back of her neck, and people were like, oh, they need to shower, and she’s not clean. She needs to wipe her neck. But that actually is an indication called acanthosis nigricans, and it’s an indication that the patient may have diabetes,” he said. “If that’s not depicted in an illustration or graphic, then that can be missed.”

Learn more about Ilustrate Change here.

The post IN LIVING COLOR: Building Trust Through Representation in Medical Illustrations appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Seales has sparked a conversation about autism in Black women and girls that has been overlooked for too long. According to the Autism Journal, “female and Black populations in the United States are diagnosed later.” The publication declared that “autistic Black girls are effectively invisible in the current scientific literature.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as “a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. The organization noted, “People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.” Seales posted a clip to her social media that highlighted the need for express clarification associated with being placed on the autism spectrum. The National Institute for Mental Health explains that “Autism is known as a “spectrum” disorder because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience.” These symptoms include “difficulty with communication and interaction with other people.”

People who are on the autism spectrum are neurodivergent. This is a comprehensive term that refers to people whose brains function differently. The history of the term is connected to empowering those it refers to. Harvard Health said, “The neurodiversity movement emerged during the 1990s, aiming to increase acceptance and inclusion of all people while embracing neurological differences.” The movement has been successful in increasing media representation, but the face of that representation has been consistently White and male.

Frontiers in Psychiatry published a study focused on how stigma experienced by autistic adults relates to metrics of social identity and social functioning. It found that “almost half of autistic individuals experience some form of victimization in their lifetime, including bullying and other forms of stigma.”

The Autistic Girls Network states that “the assessment tools used for diagnosis and research in the field of autism have almost always been developed from research using predominantly male samples.” Progress in the rate of diagnosis for Black children overall is advancing slowly, according to the CDC, but the gaps in the research get even wider as it pertains to Black girls. Bria Herbert, diagnosed at 19, shared her experience with The 19th. “Autism and most mental health disorders present differently in Black women,” Herbert told the independent publication. “Because autism is looked at through such a White and male lens, people don’t recognize similar behaviors with traditionally feminine or Black interests.”

Daniel Jones of The Aspie World dedicated an entire episode of his YouTube show to recognizing the way that Black women and girls are excluded from the discourse surrounding autism. Celebrity advocates for autism research include Toni Braxton, Shawn Stockman, and Holly Robinson Pete, who discussed the topic on Seales’ podcast Small Doses in April of 2021. April is Autism Awareness Month, and as awareness is raised and information is spread, the experiences of Black women and girls must be included in efforts to continue learning about the spectrum. Advocates and academics are arguing for their inclusion in different spaces.

A paper published in the Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders stated, “Growth in autism research necessitates corresponding attention to autism research ethics, including ethical and meaningful inclusion of diverse participants.” It said that “the exclusion of marginalized subgroups of people with autism is a major ethical concern.”

The post Amanda Seales Just Announced She Has Autism – Here’s Why So Many Black Women Go Undiagnosed appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Affectionately known as “The Finisher,” Mister Cee was previously a disc jockey on Hot 97 and a fixture on the party scene in New York and New Jersey. Up until the time of his death, he was spinning at 94.7 The Block. The latter released a statement on social media reacting to LeBrun’s sudden passing in a joint post with another host at the station, Shelley Wade.

“Yesterday was such an emotionally traumatizing day. For hours, we were concerned because we couldn’t reach Mister Cee…and then we got confirmation that he had passed away,” the statement read. They posted a still image of the iconic Apollo Theater, a loving farewell tribute to LeBrun, acknowledging the gap in the culture he left behind.

According to the American Journal of Public Health, “Black men continue to have substantially lower life expectancy at birth than Black women and White women and men” and “There is a lag in increases in survival between the ages of 45 and 75 years for Blacks with the largest gap in survival for Black men.” In 2019, NPR reported that “Black men have the lowest life expectancy of any major demographic group in the U.S.”

LeBrun is not the only legendary producer or artist to leave the limelight tragically early. Biz Markie died at 57 as well after suffering a severe stroke. COVID-19 claimed the life of DJ Kay Slay at 55. The sun set on Phife Dawg’s life due to diabetes complications at just 45. Heart failure led to the death of Craig Mack at 46. Their absence reflects the truth that fame does not isolate Black men from devastatingly short life expectancies. Pioneers in hip-hop like Mister Cee, who worked closely with the late Notorious B.I.G. and Big Daddy Kane, arrived on the scene before the maturation of the genre’s financial potential, placing them in a different economic position than the moguls who succeeded them.

Miss Jones, another iconic radio personality, commented on the need for hip-hop to have a health fund to help provide access to care for those called to create and promote the art form during an interview with PIX 11. She implied that a duty of care is owed to hip-hop people who paved the way and that a fund should be established. The same argument has been made for legends in other industries, including professional sports. Rappers Method Man, Fat Joe, French Montana, Busta Rhymes, and Chuck D have called for greater transparency in healthcare pricing, calling on Congress to pass legislation preventing opaque business practices.

Like many creative careers, those who dedicate their life to hip-hop often have trouble accessing health insurance consistently. D.J.s are among them. Even those lucky enough to find consistent work that offers traditional health care plans frequently find that later in their careers, they are playing catch up. Leaving a large chunk of time that they are uninsured or underinsured creates a prickly legacy of barriers to treatment. This lets routine and preventable ailments go left untreated.

The post The Sudden Death Of Mister Cee Highlights The Need For Healthcare in Hip-Hop appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Dr. Eugene E. Wright, Jr., Dr. Patrick Gee, PhD, Thelma B., Noelle Bush

Sponsored by Boehringer-Ingelheim / Lilly

Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly partnered with hip-hop pioneer Rob Base on a campaign to convert his classic hit “It Takes Two” into a healthy rallying cry. The “It Takes Two” campaign promotes the idea that blood and urine tests are used to gauge one’s kidney health accurately. It also reminds patients that they have a role in managing their health and that the responsibility doesn’t fail solely to their provider.

Dr. Eugene E. Wright, Jr., Dr. Patrick Gee, PhD., and healthcare advocate Thelma B. shared their experiences with Noelle Bush at the BHM Winter 2024 Summit.

Thelma shared why she felt it was important to lend her time and energy to the It Takes Two campaign. “We know that rap and hip-hop have been the genre of music used throughout our culture to talk about the controversies and social and economic things,” she said. “I partner because the campaign aligns with what has saved my life.

Why is advocacy key?

Thelma reinforced the messages from the campaign by sharing how she doubles up in medical settings. “I advocate for my parents quite often,” said Thelma. “It’s vital to advocate for yourself because knowledge is power.”

She noted that Black patients can face stereotypes that paint a picture of them as ambivalent about their health to providers. “There’s a lot of biases, a lot of assumptions about what we can or cannot afford, what we’re willing or not willing to do,” she continued.

Dr. Wright has witnessed the power of advocacy in his practice. “As a primary care physician on the front line, there are a lot of things that we have to deal with lots of our patients, but I will tell you there’s nothing more impactful than when a patient comes in as their advocate,” he said. “If you hear nothing else from me, be your best advocate. Go in and ask questions.” He also recommended jotting down notes to recall what you are being told accurately.

Both Patrick and Thelma described being shocked by their diagnosis. Patrick was informed that his levels were so elevated that he should not even be alive during a routine workday. The news changed his life forever.

What are providers missing?

Thelma was dismissed as a child when she exhibited symptoms. “I was 12 years old. And I used to suffer with a lot of swelling in my hands and my feet,” she said. Weight stigma blocked her from receiving adequate treatment from her provider. “Now, this man never touched me, never ran a test. But he judged this book by its cover and said, I need to lose weight.”

She did not receive an accurate diagnosis until she was an adult seeking care in a different zip code. The familiarity of the symptoms made her realize that she would have been fighting the illness her whole life without knowing it. “I was dumbfounded. I was clueless. I didn’t know what to do. So, when I realized that this is something that could have plagued me since I was a kid, it was devastating,” she said.

The harrowing experience made her passionate about empowering patients. “I’m here to tell you all that experience has taught me the importance of using your voice and speaking up,” she continued.

How You Can Take Action

• Ask your doctors to talk to one another. Pressing the issue can be awkward, but your providers should communicate and agree on how best to serve your healthcare goals.
• Learn the signs. Research what kind of symptoms are associated with kidney disease.
• Document what you’re being told by healthcare professionals so that you can recall it later when you need to.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind Kidney Health: It Takes 2 – You and Your Doctor appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Dr. Lynn Paxton, Kendal K. Whitlock, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Lee Woodall,

Nicole Adams (Moderator)

Sponsored by Merck

Misinformation about vaccines has allowed new variants of new viruses and a host of nearly eradicated diseases to thrive in a culture of ignorance and fear.

Dr. Darlene Ruffin-Alexander, Dr. Lynn Paxton, an international scholar who has served as a captain of the commissioned corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, Kendal K. Whitlock MPH, Head of Digital Optimization, RWE Clinical Trials at Walgreens, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and NFL legend and community leader Lee Woodall. The panelists shared their experience and expertise with moderator Nicole Adams, Senior Engagement Manager at Black Health Matters.

Why is there mistrust of vaccines in the Black Community?

Dr. Paxton kicked off the conversation by acknowledging the gaps faced by Black patients seeking care. “I’ve actually been aware. Obviously, all of us have, for years, about all of the discrepancies and inequity we have here in the United States,” she said. “There’s a huge discrepancy in the care that they receive.”

The doctor noted that COVID-19 brought these situations to the forefront of the public discourse. Adding that the Black community is not exclusive in their reluctance to vaccinate. “All people who are hesitant to take a vaccine do not all come from the same background,” she said.

The doctor went on to dispel the belief that there was just one reason causing people to mistrust vaccines.

“Vaccine hesitancy does not have one single root cause. It is not a monolithic thing,” she explained.

She emphasized the changes that have transformed vaccine development and that information about these measures is available to the public. “There have been institutional changes made,” she said.

How has misinformation about vaccines impacted the Black community?

Woodall, who became a religious leader following his athletic career, quoted the Bible verse that inspired him to distribute accurate vaccine information to his congregation and community. The increased mortality rate of Black people impacted by COVID-19 swayed him. “With the lack of knowledge, all people will perish,” he said. The leader advised the audience to learn about their health and the functions of their body’s systems so that they could take in the information presented to them.

“Are you giving yourself a chance to know you, meaning to know your body, to know what your heart does to know, what your lungs do to know how the blood flows through your body?” he asked.

Whitlock commented on the importance of obtaining crucial information from care providers outside of check-ups. “Sometimes things happen between that and the annual visit; we have questions and curiosities,” she said.

Who is responsible for building trust between the medical and Black communities?

The widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccine demonstrated how a public health crisis can be approached efficiently with the help of existing infrastructure. “Access is an issue regarding our health care and clinical trial participation,” said Whitlock. “A retail pharmacy might be able to change this paradigm of people who are underrepresented or unsupported in their health care needs.”

Action Steps You Can Take

The session provided valuable and practical solutions for managing your health by being proactive through appropriate vaccines.

• Educate yourself about how the systems in your body work.
• Arm yourself with research about the specific vaccines available to you for your health concerns and ask your doctor about them.
•  Find out what options are available in your neighborhood to seek care between your appointments.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind: Vaccines: A Discussion About Solutions for Staying Healthy appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Sponsored by Pfizer

Dr. Erinn Goldman, Ph.D., Global Medical Director, Multiple Myeloma at Pfizer, shared information on promising new therapies for treating multiple myeloma. She explained that there are treatments available for versions of the white blood cancer that tends to recur.

She shared information about the patients in the study that led to developing new treatment options. “The patients in our study had already had at least four other therapies, and those therapies had failed them,” she explained. These severe cases are a priority for Pfizer. “We try to go to the area of the highest unmet need,” said Goldman.

How far have multiple myeloma treatment options come?

Dr. Goldman explained the limited options for patients facing multiple myeloma in previous eras. “When you look back in the 1960s, if you were diagnosed with multiple myeloma, the only thing that was available to treat it was melphalan, which is a chemo, a standard chemotherapy drug, and prednisone, which is a steroid,” she said. Not only were the negative side effects of these treatments overwhelming, they were not very effective.

“Outcomes were not very good. So if you were diagnosed with multiple myeloma, most likely within a year or so, you would not survive,” she continued.

What are some of the multiple myeloma treatment options available?

ELREXFIO is an injection that is “typically given in the stomach area.” It provides the patient with a targeted immunotherapy. “It uses your body’s immune system to fight cancer,” explained the doctor. She noted that, unlike other development options, ELREXFIO is widely available.

What is the current status of multiple myeloma research?

Dr. Goldman shared that the research on this version of cancer is moving swiftly. “There are a lot of treatments now available for multiple myeloma, and you can see that most of these became available in the past ten to twenty years and, in fact, many of them in the past five years,” she said. “This is an area of research that’s developing quickly.” The evolution of treatments expands the information that patients can review before deciding on a course of treatment with their healthcare provider.

Research has led to more effective therapies. “With all of the new treatments. Those outcomes are getting better and better and better. So now we have groups of patients in patient advocacy groups who have lived with this disease for twenty years or more,” continued Dr. Goldman.

How are the current multiple myeloma therapies different?

Dr. Goldman explained how the current options differ from the original treatments. “The more recent therapies are more targeted therapies,” she clarified. According to the doctor, previous therapies were designed to halt growth in any cells, including those residing in healthy organs and tissue. These could not be designed to focus directly on the patient’s problem areas.

“These new therapies are attacking specific things in the myeloma cell,” she said. The new treatments are not without undesirable issues like hypertension or inflammation, but they offer much more effective treatment. “Of course, every drug has side effects, but these drugs can work better because they’re more targeted toward the cancer versus other cells,” continued the doctor. Take Action! The session offered tips for understanding the nature of multiple myeloma.

How You Can Take Action!

The session offered tips for understanding the nature of multiple myeloma. ? Find out which therapy is right for you. Ask your doctor if you are eligible for some new therapies.

• Research the nature of your illness. Learn what the symptoms are and what the potential side effects of treatment can be.
• Acquire an understanding of what therapies are actually available and what is coming down the pipeline.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind ELREXFIO, a newer BCMA-Directed Bispecific Immunotherapy for Adult Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Dr. Cee Nicole MD, MSW Diplomate of ABOM; L. Casey Flowers MS, RD, LDN

and Corynne Corbett, Editorial Director, Black Health Matters

Sponsored by Novo Nordisk

Dr. Cee Nicole and Lauren Casey Flowers, MS, RD, LDN, discussed obesity with Black Health Matters editorial director Corynne Corbett at the Black Health Matters Winter 2024 Summit. They discussed various barriers to weight management, including environmental factors and systemic bias in health care. They also explored the limits of extreme dieting and how it leads to weight cycling.

What is holding back honest conversations about weight?

Corbett led the lively conversation about how to have better conversations about weight.

Flowers described how doctors’ preoccupation with weight can cause them to downplay patient concerns about other issues, including their pain. “Fifteen minutes in. It’s losing twenty pounds. I’ll see you in three months and then discuss the knee issue. That is what we call weight bias and weight stigma,” she said. “I think weight bias is one of the hugest reasons why we have difficulty having honest conversations.”

What barriers exist that prevent effective health management?

Dr. Nicole commented on the invisible barriers erected by hereditary factors, environmental challenges, and advanced food industry tactics. Many people who are overweight have family members who have faced similar issues. “There’s the genetic components. Some of us have more fat accumulation than others, who may develop muscle mass more regularly,” she said before explaining how vague marketing terms confuse consumers. “Some foods are made to increase our appetite to increase our hunger. We don’t know that; we know we see the bright, colorful advertisement, and we see. It has eighteen grams of whole grains in here; that might be a good choice.”

She explained that the area you live in and inflation can also prevent you from meeting your goals. “There’s an environmental component to it as well. Do you feel safe going out and taking a walk in your neighborhood? Do you have a park nearby with equipment you can use for free, or will you have to cash out an extra ninety-nine dollars a month to go to the gym?”

Flowers, a registered dietitian, mentioned that the patients she works with can be impacted by the weight gain that can accompany the medications that are part of their treatment plans for health issues. She recommends discussing weight loss plans with your caregiver before settling on a course of action. “Having that discussion with your doctor about weight-neutral medications as well can be an essential part of your weight loss,” she said.

Why should one think twice before yo-yo dieting?

They mentioned the limits of extreme diets to be sustainable for long-term goals. “You’re doing a cabbage diet, so now you think you’ll lose weight. So, and maybe you did because you’re drinking just cabbage, but when you stop, the weight returns,” said the doctor. Their discussion championed the importance of working with a professional to develop a path to lifestyle changes that can be incorporated into one’s day-to-day life.

How You Can Take Action:

The session offered tips for pursuing weight loss proactively and healthily.

• Know your insurance. You can’t properly evaluate your options without knowing what your insurance will not cover. If uninsured, determine what resources you can access before forming a plan.
• Don’t get sidetracked by current issues like a cough or a fever and forget to discuss weight management. Consider scheduling a separate appointment with your provider to discuss your concerns.
• ?Ask for a referral to a dietitian if you want extra support to get the expertise you need.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind Weighing All Options: Let’s Speak Up About Obesity appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Presented by: London Wills, PhD

Sponsored by J&J Healthcare Services

Dr. London Wills, Ph.D., led a conversation about the urgency of putting health first during this season’s Black Health Matters Winter Summit.

He has personal experience with what can change when you put health at the top of your to-do list.

The National Policy and Advocacy Director, Health Equity at Johnson & Johnson, described the “why” that led him to devote his life to promoting healthcare. He revealed how healthcare disparities have shown up in his childhood life. Dr. Wills described the way that physicians misled his parents into improperly medicating him after a misdiagnosis. He saw several healthcare providers who shrugged off the concerns of his family, who were worried about his neurological symptoms.

” Every time my parents asked questions, they would just continue to push them and say I’m the doctor; I know what’s best for your child,” he recalled.

Ultimately, the family connected with a provider willing to communicate effectively to get to the root of the problem. “I did find a doctor who cared enough to know and listen to what we had to say and the actual symptoms,” he said.

The experience resulted in Dr. Wills committing “to really changing the trajectory of the way health care looks for Black people.”

“I am spreading the word to people of color who look like me to make sure that they’re getting the level of educational awareness,” he said.

Dr. Wills reminded the audience of the dangers of failing to discuss health concerns until they have progressed to a severe point. He worked on the Johnson and Johnson initiative to develop the website MyHealthCantWait.com to help people continue to focus on their health when non-emergency surgeries are being rescheduled. Patients could easily forget these procedures without clear explanations of their importance. “Most of the time, we don’t want to talk about it until we find out at a stage three or stage four, and so now we have an opportunity that once we become educated that we can do more with,” he said before describing the information available on the site.

“You’ll find all types of educational awareness, tools, and resources out there that will hopefully help you have informed conversations when you’re going to talk to your providers,” he continued.

Those facing time restrictions can quickly be educated through the site’s offerings. “We have resources there that are unbranded, that will give you videos in some cases that will walk you through a condition if you go in and see a doctor, and they’re saying that you have peripheral artery disease, but they don’t have time to tell you what it is there’s a video up there that’s less than a minute that talks about what it is,” he said.

The site is intended to promote a proactive approach to healthcare widely.

Wills is working to create an environment where Black men are encouraged to “become the chief medical officer” of their families.

“When you feel something, you do something, you don’t delay it,” he told the Black men present. “If you’re going to be the head of the household, do the same thing regarding your healthcare.”

Ways You Can Take Action

The session provided practical tips for prioritizing your health.

• Use unconventional resources for education. A quick online video can offer as much information as an office pamphlet.
• Don’t put off elective procedures. Something that begins as non-essential can reach crisis mode if ignored for too long.
•  Keep looking for a provider until you find one to listen to you.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind: My Health Can’t Wait appeared first on Black Health Matters.

 Black Community: Insights into the APOL1 Gene

Presented by:

Dr. Stacy A. Johnson

Sponsored by Vertex

Dr. Stacy A. Johnson addressed an engaged crowd on kidney disease, a subject “near and dear” to her heart. As the Medical Director of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Johnson helps develop innovative treatments using research. According to a study published by Johns Hopkins in 2020, “Black Americans experience kidney failure at three times the rate of whites.” Dr. Johnson explained what kidneys are, their desired function, ways to identify that they have been compromised, and potential genetic components of kidney issues that could disproportionately impact Black people.

What are the kidneys?

Dr. Johnson explained that the organs provide important functions in the body. “They work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, every day to filter and clean your blood,” she said. “The kidneys get rid of excess fluid, they get rid of excess waste, they help balance electrolytes.”

The doctor’s presentation helped the audience understand what the organs look like and how they fit into the body’s systems. She described one portion of the organ as a sort of tennis racket. “Think of that as a filter,” she said. “You want a filter because your blood contains things you want to keep and other things you want to get rid of. So you can’t just have a structure that lets everything out.”

What are some of the symptoms of kidney disease?

“Sometimes the kidneys get damaged, and when they don’t work properly, you start to see some signs that you can tell that the kidneys are not working properly,” she said. Fatigue and perceived weight gain can be signs. “So one of the signs that the kidney is not working properly is accumulation of excess fluid. This might show up as swelling in your legs. It may even show up as high blood pressure because your kidneys are not removing extra salt. Then, the other thing that happens is that when that tennis racket-looking filter gets damaged, it can no longer do its job properly. So instead of keeping the good stuff like protein inside your body, it spills the protein into the urine, which is not what you want.”

Kidney disease is progressive, meaning it accelerates. “It progresses. Eventually, it can get to the point where you need to have dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive,” said the doctor.

How common is kidney disease?

Dr. Johnson revealed how common kidney disease is. “The CDC estimates that approximately one in seven adults has chronic kidney disease,” she told the audience. She acknowledged that the disease can be lying dormant, threatening unsuspecting sufferers. “The dangerous thing is that of the people, of the 37 million or so adults who have chronic kidney disease in the US, nine out of ten of them don’t even know they have it.” She shared conditions that can lead to kidney disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and auto-immune diseases.

What kind of research is being done on kidney disease in the Black community?

Dr. Johnson shared insights into the research on the APOL1 Gene. She outlined risk variants. “Among African-Americans, the people who had the most severe type of kidney disease actually also had these changes in their DNA,” she said.

How You Can Take Action:

The session provided valuable tips for preserving your kidney health.

•  Pay attention! Inspect changes in your body so you can accurately describe them to your doctor.
• Learn about the therapies available. If you are experiencing kidney issues, do not assume that only one treatment works for you.
• Ask your healthcare provider about the research on the APOL1 Gene and what you need to know.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind: Understanding Genetic Kidney Disease and Its Impact on the Black Community: Insights into the APOL1 Gene appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Sponsored by Amgen

Sheila Thorne spoke with Dr. Elizabeth Ofili about how new initiatives are overcoming the hurdles of clinical research during this year’s Black Health Matters Winter Summit. Dr. Ofili was the first female president of the Association of Black Cardiologists, an organization founded on “belief in the need to bring special attention to the adverse impact of cardiovascular disease on African Americans.”

Thorne asked Dr. Ofil about the emerging partnership between Morehouse School of Medicine, the Association of Black Cardiologists, and Amgen. The three organizations have come together to research the lipoprotein (a).

What is a lipoprotein (a)?

According to the CDC, High levels of lipoprotein (a) increase your likelihood of having a heart attack, a stroke, and aortic stenosis, especially if you have familial hypercholesterolemia or signs of coronary heart disease.”

“As a cardiologist for years, we knew about the dangers of lipoprotein, little a,” said Dr. Ofil. “Then the next thing that comes out of everybody’s mouth is, but we don’t know what to do about it.” She explained that the presence of high levels of the protein can be recognized in childhood. “It’s a genetically determined risk factor, and then we don’t know how to get it down. Whatever level you were born with stays with you.”

The partnership aims to study the protein and the similar characteristics associated with its presence. Dr. Ofil paused to acknowledge the people at Amgen who contributed to the ongoing project, beaming at them in the audience.

Why was Morehouse chosen?

She explained that Amgen wanted to prioritize creating connections to “community-facing physicians, who see the majority of patients” affected by the issues Amgen is researching. “At the end of the day, we wanted to get to these practitioners, the physicians across the country, but they’re seeing more African-American patients,” said Dr. Ofil. Doctors who engage with the Black community and the Black patients they see are not frequently centered in large-scale clinical research. “They don’t get invited to do these studies,” she added. “They do not get invited.”

Thorne noted that some reasons for the hesitancy mentioned in the vaccine session held earlier that morning could apply to reluctance to engage in clinical research. “Blacks historically have been reluctant and resistant to volunteer for clinical research for good reason. History, unfortunately, has not been a friend to the community,” she said.

Dr. Ofil clarified that the study’s goal at the heart of the partnership is to focus on how Black people are impacted by studying their progress. “We, at the very least, need to understand how it’s affecting Blacks,” she said. Physicians cannot make targeted recommendations for their therapy without studying a select group of people on a large scale. “There are no drugs involved, but we are going to get information and connect it to everything else.”

Who can benefit from this study?

The study is intentionally broad to gain the most information to develop new therapies. “We’re looking at people eighteen and up to eighty-five.” Amgen designed the study to benefit not only the medical community in the future but also patients who are currently struggling. It contains a website that offers targeted information on heart health. “We want to be able to not only represent clinical trials, but we want to represent in care. We want to represent access to that, which is critically important. So the partnership has covered all the bases,” said Dr. Ofil.

The study has also been staffed with culturally competent physicians and researchers. “The cultural issues have been addressed in advance,” she shared.

How You Can Take Action

• Ask your doctor to evaluate your proteins. Use specific terminology and ask directly about lipoprotein (a.)
• Use a medical search engine when seeking information about your care.
• Learn more about the premise of a clinical study before refusing to participate.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind Heart to Heart: Breaking Down Barriers to Clinical Research appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Sponsored by Black Health Matters

Jennie Joseph sat with Black Health Matters founder and President Roslyn Young-Daniels. During a fireside chat at the Black Health Matters Winter 2024 Summit, the pair discussed the maternal health crisis. As a British-trained midwife, Joseph has dedicated her time and energy to educating the world about how they can improve maternal health outcomes. Black women are disproportionately reflected in poor maternal health outcomes.

Who is to blame for poor maternal health outcomes?

Joseph rejected the premise that it is the sole responsibility of the pregnant person to advocate for themselves while they are in labor. “We don’t have to save our own lives,” she declared. “This country has created a situation where it is unsafe to be pregnant.” She called the dire situation in the United States “shameful” as the country has abysmal maternal health statistics. Joseph directed the audience’s attention to the gaps in the healthcare system affecting communities.

“It’s time to tell the truth,” she said. “The system is killing our mothers. The system is killing our families, our loved ones, our colleagues, our neighbors.”

“I’m ready to declare a state of emergency,” she added enthusiastically. “This can not stand.”

Why is today different from previous eras?

Daniels inquired about the differences in previous generations’ maternal health outcomes. She asked if she would have a better chance of surviving childbirth in the fifties. Joseph said that she would because, in her opinion, there was a likelihood that the person assigned to her would be more inclined to care for her. She cited the ways healthcare providers often dismiss women.

“We are not being heard. We are not being listened to. So when we say something’s wrong, there’s a problem here, no, please don’t send me home; I’m scared; we are not being heard.” Medical gaslighting impacts all types of women, and, in the worst cases, it can be fatal.

Joseph, a practicing midwife for forty-two years, did not denounce hospital birth entirely. “There’s nothing wrong with that if the people in the hospital care about you,” she said.

What Options Exist Outside Of Doctor-Assisted Births?

Joseph recounted the ways that pregnant people could give birth outside of just dealing with the usual hospital staff. They can labor at a clinic, birthing center, or hospital under a midwife’s supervision. The laws about midwifery vary based on your location.

“There are midwives who deliver in hospitals, but you have to go search for them,” she said. In some states, regulations restrict midwives from providing certain care methods. Joseph recommends doing your research before settling on a birthing plan.

“Some of them have some independence and autonomy, and they can really take care of you the way they want to as a midwife, and then others are stuck within what the system says, and then you can’t find yourself able to do some of the things you might want to do.”

How You Can Take Action

• Educate yourself. Read up on maternal health statistics and address your concerns with your healthcare provider.
• Consult the law. Find out what the laws surrounding midwifery are in your state so that you can understand what options are and are not available to you.
• Don’t internalize the blame for poor outcomes on yourself. Do your best to make the process as seamless as possible for your family.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind Maternal Mortality in the USA: It’s Time To Tell The Truth appeared first on Black Health Matters.

JaBaris D. Swain, MD, MPH

Sponsored by J&J Innovative Medicine

Dr. JaBaris D. Swain shared information on identifying and minimizing the risk of peripheral artery disease at the Black Health Matters Winter 2024 Summit.

Dr. Swain began his presentation by warning that “Black Americans are more than twice as likely to have peripheral artery disease than White Americans.” He continued by explaining to the audience the arteries and their function within the body. “Arteries carry blood through your body,” he told them.

What is peripheral artery disease?

“Plaque is made of a fat and cholesterol that can build up in your arteries and can cause a blockage peripheral artery disease that occurs when plaque build-up forms in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to your limbs.” He explained that the impact of the disease was generally located in the lower portion of the body and “usually occurs in your legs.”

The doctor pointed out the associated illnesses that could potentially accompany the disease. “If you have peripheral artery disease, you may also have blockages in other parts of your body,” he said. “Two organs that commonly have blockages include the heart and the brain. Blocked arteries can mean greater risk for heart attack stroke or amputation.”

Heart attacks, often depicted in the media, are major cardiac events. Dr. Swain described what is happening inside the body when they take place. “A heart attack occurs when a blockage occurs in the arteries of the heart, and a blockage can cause a stroke,” he explained.

What are the risks of peripheral artery disease for the Black community?

Several illnesses that disproportionately impact the Black community are associated with an elevated risk of developing peripheral artery disease. Dr. Swain shared a list of “diseases and conditions that could put you at greater risk of developing peripheral artery disease,” including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and chronic kidney disease.

“Patients with diabetes, particularly those who are over the age of fifty, have a one in three chance of developing peripheral artery disease; also, if you have heart disease, you have a one and three chance also,” he continued.

He noted that smoking and certain genetic factors affect one’s chances of developing the disease as well. According to Dr. Swain, quitting smoking and increasing exercise efforts can reduce the risks of peripheral artery disease. Allowing the disease to progress without treatment can lead to horrible outcomes like amputation, a major heart attack, a stroke, or even death.

What are the signs of peripheral artery disease?

Many patients dealing with peripheral artery disease will feel significant pain, but Dr. Swain warned that some will not. Being informed about other, less obvious symptoms will help others be diagnosed. “About 40% of patients will not have pain associated with their peripheral artery disease, so it’s really important to understand how to recognize the different signs and symptoms,” he said.

He revealed indicators that someone might be suffering peripheral artery disease, including “painful leg cramping can occur, you can also have numbness, weakness or heaviness in your legs or feet, breast pain, cold feet, discolored skin, [and] hair loss.”

Here’s How You Can Take Action!

• Pay attention to the signs, familiarize yourself with the symptoms, and ask your doctor if this could be an issue.
• Put a treatment plan in place and stick to it. “Treating peripheral artery disease in time may protect you from serious medical consequences,” said Dr. Swain.
• Take care of your feet proactively so that they can remain healthy and less susceptible to peripheral artery disease.

The post BHM Winter 2024 Summit Rewind: Facing The Challenge: Recognizing the Threat and Reducing the Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease appeared first on Black Health Matters.

An article in Frontiers in Genetics reported that after a yo-yo dieting style cycle, “Weight regain often starts within the first year, and the pre-intervention weight is reached or even surpassed in the subsequent 2 to 5 years.” It also stated, “Limiting or preferentially avoiding weight cycling in the first year after weight loss appears crucially important for sustainable long-term weight maintenance.” Another article published by the American Diabetes Association suggested that the practice “exacerbates the risk for T2D and cardiovascular disease.”

“Accumulating evidence suggests the existence of an autoregulatory adaptive mechanism or ‘famine reaction’ that predisposes to obesity following a period of starvation,” it reported. “While self-reflection and making goals can help us feel more focused and accomplished, restrictive dieting, excessive exercise, or other sudden behavioral changes that are characteristics of New Year’s resolution around weight loss are often an attempt to feel in control when other aspects of our lives feel out of control,” explained Taryn Crosby, LCSW, a psychotherapist and Founding Partner of MCMCollab. “Ultimately, yo-yo dieting, in addition to having potential medical health consequences, can affect our mental health.”

Dr. Dominique Pritchett, PsyD, LCSW,  considers participating in yo-yo dieting symptomatic of other issues. “That trickles to other parts of our life,” she told Black Health Matters. “I’m a big strategy person. If we’re approaching anything without a strategy, we will likely fail or hurt badly going through it,” she continued. “I believe people can be more successful with creating changes in their life, getting off the yo-yo, and sustaining their wellness with a solid strategy.” Dr. Pritchett suggested working with a professional to settle on sustainable tactics. “Chances are, it’s just not showing up in the diet, but it’s shown up in other places in your life. So, go talk to a professional,” she said. “That objective perspective has to come from someone.” Working with a professional can help you accurately assess your habits instead of focusing on what you think they should be. “Shoulding is an unrealistic fantasy belief,” said Dr. Pritchett. If limited access to care prevents you from seeking professional assistance, you can observe and document your habits to try and stop the yo-yo approach.

Dr. Janel Gordon, M.D., DipABOM, DipABLM, a Triple Board Certified Family, Obesity & Lifestyle Medicine Physician, believes “people intend to stay on the wagon when they slide into yo-yo-ing.”

Action Tips

Learn What Works For You

“Look at what you’re doing really, really well,” Dr. Pritchett advised. She recommends asking yourself, “What do you feel good doing? What are you getting results from?” “Replicate what’s working, but make sure it matches your personality,” she added.

Do Your Research

Dr. Gordon advocates for balancing out your diet instead of diving into extremes. “Maybe you’re trying to cut back on carbs, but carbs are not evil. We need all the macronutrients. We need carbohydrates. We need fat, we need protein,” she said.

Avoid Comparing Yourself To Others

Just because the latest diet craze worked for your friend or co-workers doesn’t mean it will work for you. “People respond differently to different tactics,” said Dr. Gordon. Think about what is feasible for your schedule and your circumstances. If you’re working with a healthcare professional, tell them what your day-to-day looks like so they can recommend the appropriate options. “If I’m talking to a male high school student versus if I’m talking to a single mother of three who has to catch a bus, drop her kids off at their daycare, and still figure out what’s nutritious to eat for herself and her kids, I’m going to be giving different recommendations.”

Supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc. 

The post Yo-Yo Dieting Doesn’t Work: So Why Do We Keep Doing It? appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Every day, a news item explores these prescriptions’ benefits, side effects, and potential risks. CEOs and influencers have sung their praises. There is even a trendy TikTok song inspired by their popularity. Even traditional weight management brands have gotten in on the action.

WeightWatchers now rebranded as WW, a staple in the weight loss industry, has begun offering access to medical interventions, including semaglutide, via their WeightWatchers Clinic’s launch. Last year, the company acquired Sequence, a digital health platform for clinical weight management. WW offers one-on-one clinician care, insurance coordination, and other membership privileges through their clinic. Noom, an industry newcomer, has launched the Noom Med program, where consumers can access medical advice for their mental and physical health and prescriptions for GLP-1 obesity drugs after being evaluated by professionals who will determine their eligibility.

If you are considering prescription weight loss options, here’s what you need to know.

What Are Your Options?

Injectables

Injectables have become an increasingly visible option for prescription-aided weight loss. They are approved for weight loss for those who have been categorized as clinically obese (BMI >30) or are overweight with medical conditions like high blood pressure or high weekly at gradually increasing doses. Some of the options on the market include Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide), Mojourno and Zepbound (tirzepatide), Saxenda (liraglutide), and Imcivree (setmelanotide). Familiarize yourself with the non-brand name versions of the medications so that you can ask your healthcare provider the necessary questions.

How Do They Work?

Injectable drugs behave similarly. “Dulaglutide, liraglutide, semaglutide were designed to act the same way as GLP-1,” according to Reviews in Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists are a class of medications utilized to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

What this means: When we use these drugs, they slow down food digestion and make us feel fuller longer. we eat less, and our appetites are reduced, and we lose weight as a result.

What are The Common Side Effects?

There are a variety of common side effects associated with these medications. “A lot of people will experience upset stomach, nausea, indigestion, sometimes, constipation, heartburn,” according to Dr. Danielle Timmons, a family medicine doctor in Decatur, GA. Injection site reactions and hyperpigmentation are common as well. However, these side effects are not universal.

“Everybody reacts differently,” said Dr. Timmons. “Some people will have more profound side effects than others.”

“Some people can have more severe reactions,” she explained. These include “persistent vomiting and severe nausea.” Side effects are not necessarily permanent, either. A study found that when it came to liraglutide, for example, “The most common adverse effects were gastrointestinal and primarily occurred early in the treatment course.”

Dr. Timmons noted that there can be an “uptick in those symptoms” associated with “going up to the next higher dose.” “Your body’s just trying to get used to that new dose,” she said. Some patients, however, have more serious gastrointestinal issues, including pancreatitis, gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), and bowel obstruction.

While GLP-1 drugs result in rapid weight loss, there is no such thing as a quick fix. Understand that these injectables are designed to be used long-term, with you eventually moving into a maintenance phase to maintain their effect. If you stop taking these drugs, you could regain some of the weight you’ve lost.

Pills

If you aren’t interested in injectable medications, you can explore the weight loss prescriptions available in pill form. Some of the names of these options include Metformin, Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave), Orlistat (Xenical, Alli) – sometimes available over the counter, Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), and phentermine (Adipex, Lomaira) are pill options.

How Do They Work?

“Metformin works by helping to restore the body’s response to insulin. It decreases the amount of blood sugar the liver produces, and the intestines or stomach absorb,” according to the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. Depending on the dosage given by your doctor, you can take it once or more daily with food. While phentermine decreases appetite, topiramate also does so and makes you feel fuller longer after eating.

What Are The Risks?

Beware of starting an over-the-counter option without consulting your physician. A study published in 2021 noted, “Phentermine-topiramate is not recommended for patients with significant cardiac history such as coronary disease and uncontrolled hypertension.” Patients in clinical trials also experienced insomnia, irritability, anxiety, headache, attention disturbances, depression, dry mouth, and kidney stones.

Certain patients can also have adverse reactions to metformin. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that lactic acidosis was a possible side effect.

“Lactic acidosis is a rare but serious metabolic complication that can occur because of metformin accumulation during treatment with metformin,” wrote the organization. Metformin has come under scrutiny for other reasons as well.

When Do The Side Effects Require Intervention?

If you’re taking these medications and the side effects are impacting your day-to-day life, medical intervention may be needed. “Are you getting up from your cubicle multiple times daily because you must run to the toilet? Are you unable to hang out with your friends?” According to Dr. Timmons, that’s an issue you must address immediately. “It’s important to discuss the issues with your PCP (primary care physician) so that the symptoms can be monitored,” Dr. Timmons added.

Diet and Exercise Still Matter

If you decide to explore prescription weight loss medicine, don’t be under the mistaken impression that you can eat anything you want. These medications work best with lifestyle changes like staying hydrated, eating a healthy diet, and exercising.

Exercise is particularly essential when taking GLP-1 medications because of the possibility you will lose muscle mass and bone density.

You must consider adding strength training and cardio to your lifestyle. Because injectables, in particular, lead to rapid weight loss, you can get a condition that usually impacts older people called sarcopenia ( the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength, and function). But there are also Ozempic butt and Ozempic face, which we are not immune to because “Black don’t crack.”

Now that you have some background, you can discuss your options with your physician to see what weight loss treatment might work best for you. Take note of the questions below to prepare for a discussion with your HCP. Then, make the decision that you believe will work best for you.

What To Ask Your Doctor Before Committing To Prescription Weight Loss Meds

• Am I a candidate for prescription-aided weight loss?
• How does this medication work?
• How many studies have included patients with [insert your specific medical condition here]?
• What are the most common side effects of this medication?
• What are the rarest side effects of this medication?
• How will this medication affect my nutrient intake?
• How would you suggest I alter my lifestyle to fit this medication?
• How will this medication interact with my current medication(s)?
• What is the lowest maintenance dose for this medication?

Supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc. 

The post The BHM Guide to Rx Weight Loss Medicines appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Unfortunately, when we are stressed, our cortisol levels are higher, and we can pack on pounds much easier,” said Jeanine Downie, M.D., director of Image Dermatology. She labeled risks associated with obesity particularly harmful to Black people. “African-Americans, both males and females, are consistently more overweight than their white counterparts,” continued Dr. Downie. “Obesity has a huge role in the destabilization of our health as a people. It can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, stroke, heart attack and more.”

A Korean Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology study identified cortisol as “a biochemical marker of chronic stress.” The same study stated that “Stress is now recognized as a universal premorbid factor associated with many risk factors of various chronic diseases,” and “chronic, excessive stress causes cumulative negative impacts on health outcomes.”

The Journal of Molecular Biochemistry suggested that “stress management could be adopted as an adjunct to traditional methods of treating obesity, namely lifestyle interventions, drugs, and bariatric surgery.”

The Journal of Obesity found that “the more stress one has, the greater amount of cortisol is produced in the body leading to accumulation of fat in the abdominal area, namely abdominal or visceral obesity.”

“Cortisol can then impact the regulation of other hormones,” explained Pernell. She cited ghrelin, leptin, and adrenaline as examples of hormones impacted by stress. Visceral fat, often in the mid-section, is often associated with high cortisol levels. “If we think about stress through acute versus chronic stressors, we can see different impacts on the body,” said Dr. Pernell.

Stress Can Impact Your Diet

Dr. Downie mentioned the importance of finding healthy ways to manage chronic stress. Stress “primarily interferes with cognitive processes such as self-regulation,” according to Dr. Taylor C. Wallace, PhD, CFS, FACN CEO, Think Healthy Group. “It can affect behavior by inducing overeating and consuming foods high in calories, saturated fat, and added sugars,” he told Black Health Matters in a statement.

A study published in the Health Psychology Review found that “stress was associated with increased consumption of unhealthy foods.” Still, it indicated that further research was required to examine the “stress-eating relationship.”

Stress Can Impact Sleep Patterns

Stress levels also impact the ability to rest and recover, a vital part of improving one’s fitness level. “Shortened sleep time and decreased physical activity are common behaviors in individuals experiencing significant stress,” added Dr. Wallace.

Action Steps For Managing The Stress and Weight Connection

Exposure to stress can be involuntary. “There are certain triggers that are outside of a person’s control, especially triggers that are in their environment,” said Dr. Pernell. There are methods to combat the effects of chronic stress and pursue the healthiest lifestyle you’re capable of. “How you will respond to the stress or the triggers in your environment is important,” Dr. Pernell added.

Take Advantage Of Any Quiet Moments

Meditation does not have to sit crisscross with a completely clear mind for forty-five minutes in a dimly lit studio full of Lululemon-wearing baddies. You can take a few seconds to reset anytime at any place with quick breathing exercises. “Mindful breathing exercises can help with your cortisol level,” said Dr. Downie.

Rest Up

Time spent doom scrolling at night might make it harder to get your desired results from that gym session. Both doctors advise taking adequate time for quality rest. “Sleep deprivation can reduce leptins,” warned Dr. Pernell. “Sleeping decreases your stress level,” explained Dr. Downie.

Prioritize Exercise

The post Stress & Your Weight: Here’s What You Need to Know appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Do Your Research

Do your research on any concerns you have. Consult authenticated sources and write down connections to what you are experiencing. Anytime you have your doctor’s undivided attention, it is a chance to ask questions. Please write down your questions and go through them one by one. Make it clear where your questions are coming from so your provider does not dismiss them as hypochondria or “WebMD-itis.”

Sample Language:

• I have a list of questions I’d like to ask based on what I am experiencing.
• We have limited time, but I’d like to focus on these concerns.
• Can you explain how my BMI interacts with this issue directly?

Present Your Receipts

Have your receipts ready at all times! Weight concerns ultimately lead to conversations about lifestyle. Prepare your answers for your doctor so you are not caught off guard. They might have several questions about how often you exercise and what type of exercises you do. Wearable technology is a great way to track this information. Your smartphone might also have access to a step counter that can shed light on your movement habits. If you do not have access to technology for this task, try journaling your habits before your appointment. Write down your stress levels, how long you sleep each night, and other relevant information that impacts weight. Knowing your full insurance benefits, including nutrition and alternative health methods, is also helpful.

Sample Language:

• Thank you for bringing up your concerns about my weight. I want to share some information about my habits and resources with you.
•  I’d like to know how best to proceed, considering my lifestyle.
• That won’t work for me, considering my day-to-day schedule and obligations. Can we discuss other options?

Enlist A Friend or Family Member

Everyone deserves competent care, and “standardized communication and educational strategies to achieve patient empowerment are challenging because patients’ support needs are complex” and “influenced by health literacy level and social and cultural differences.” If these factors erect barriers in your case, bring a friend or family member to advocate for you effectively.

Sample Language:

• This is my [Insert relationship here]. I’d like them to stay and help me navigate this conversation.
• It would be helpful if [Insert relationship here] could help me express my thoughts and concerns.

Master Redirection

If your healthcare provider is harping on weight and ignoring your other concerns, use redirection to ensure you can express what you want to focus on.

Sample Language:

• I have heard your concerns about my weight. Can we spend some time reviewing the symptoms that I have concerns about?
•  I want to focus on these specific things.
• Would you make this same recommendation if I were a patient with a lower BMI? Why or why not?

Record Your Interactions

Always ask for documentation! If you suspect your doctor is more focused on the number on the scale than the connective tissue fusing your health, ensure you record everything.

Sample Language:

• Thank you for sharing your recommendation. Can we move on?
• Please document that information in my chart so that I can ensure my records are accurate.
• How can I get a copy of your recommendations for my records?

Supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc. 

The post How to Talk to Your Doctor About Weight (5 Tips & Sample Scripts) appeared first on Black Health Matters.

Consider Budget

“Whenever you’re doing an event, you have got to start with the numbers first, whether that’s a large-scale event or an intimate event in your own home,” said Johnson.

Make a Realistic Guest List

It’s tempting to throw a grand shindig where everyone you’ve ever double-tapped on Instagram is welcome, but that is only feasible for some people. “If you have a smaller number, you can create a more elevated experience for those in that room of a few,” Johnson pointed out.

The ideal number of guests is determined by your setup.

“For a sit-down, you do a hundred percent seating, meaning that if you have ten seats, then you invite ten people,” she continued. The seating requirements for gatherings that do not require place settings are a bit more lax. “If it’s a cocktail or more of a house party style, you can do as low as 50 percent [seating]. That’s the minimum that will typically do,” Johnson explained. The seating sweet spot for most affairs is between “50 and 75 percent.”

Divide The Labor…In Advance

“Parties are great, but clean up can be a heavy lift,” said Johnson. “If you already have a housekeeper, just notify them you’re having a party.” Keeping your housekeeper informed can help get your home back on track quicker. “They can adjust their schedule around what you’re having in your home,” she explained. If this is not a service you usually splurge on, you can still get help on the fly. “If you don’t normally have a cleaning team, you can use services like TaskRabbit,” said Johnson. If enlisting hired help is not an option, you can ask those “dearest and closest to you.” “If hiring is not an option, just get some help in advance so that you’re not overwhelmed,” said Johnson. Avoid awkward interactions by designating responsibilities ahead of time. “Usually, people don’t mind, but you don’t want to spring it on people,” Johnson advised.

Plan The Menu Thoughtfully

Inclusion is always in style. Please remember to ask your guests about any dietary restrictions before the event so that you can make sure they’re comfortable.

Do not assume that because someone was drinking alcohol and eating meat or cheese the last time you saw them, they will still be doing so on the day of your function.

Labeling items on a table or passed tray helps avoid issues as well. Everyone will be informed about their options to make the right decision.

Pick Unique Post Dinner Activities

Instead of pulling out the card games, cigars, and cognac, try something new by adding a charitable element to your party this holiday season. “Social impact is the new black,” declared Johnson. “So post dinner. I see that as a great opportunity to make baskets that can be taken down to food shelters or given to groups already collecting holiday items.” “You can wrap toys,” she added. “As we know, this economy has created a scenario where the food pantries have more demand than they can even supply, and many people are losing their jobs. So, as a part of your invitation, ask people to bring a gift or an item aside after dinner,” she continued. “What’s better than a Friendsgiving but by blessing others?”

The post 6 Steps To Planning a Memorable Friendsgiving appeared first on Black Health Matters.

The timing of the alleged abuse coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, which intensified violence against women and girls, according to the United Nations. Other information in the filing accused Jackson of berating Palmer and destroying her personal property. The filing also confirmed that the former couple had split up. The term “Intimate Partner” refers to current and former spouses and dating partners in the Center for Disease Control’s definition. Their interpersonal issues first courted public attention when Jackson drew ire on social media for publicly criticizing Palmer’s outfit for Usher’s Las Vegas residency. Former Spice Girl Mel B told Cosmopolitan how coercive control impacted her fashion choices during her former marriage to Stephen Belafonte in 2021. “I didn’t even know what color I liked anymore because those choices were taken away from me for so long. And I just accepted it,” said Mel B.

Women facing abuse from intimate partners are often painted as penniless victims without any resources or options.

Scene after scene of them fleeing, while clutching nothing more than a diaper bag and fear, have played out in popular culture. But they’ve excluded the many powerful women, like Palmer, who have suffered as a result of intimate partner violence. This happens to women on stages, courts, and in boardrooms. Dr. Angela Mailis published Smart, Successful & Abused: The Unspoken Problem of Domestic Violence and High-Achieving Women in 2019. “Just as many ‘smart and successful’ women are victims as the stereotype of an ‘un-empowered’ female,” said former Liz Claiborne CEO Jana Kasperkevic in a 2014 piece for The Guardian. Academy award-winner Halle Berry, Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Kelly Rowland, and former WNBA player and two-time Olympic gold medalist, “Mighty Ruthie” Bolton have each publicly addressed their experiences with intimate partner violence.

Palmer’s situation is another disturbing example of how domestic violence can penetrate even the most prosperous circles. A Journal of Population Economics study published in September found that “women who earn more than their male partners are subject to a 33% increase in partner violence and a 20% increase in emotional abuse compared to mean levels.” Psychologist and executive coach Perpetua Neo explained how powerful women can be inclined to invest time and energy into abusive relationships. “High-performance women tend to be highly conscientious too,” she said in a 2019 interview with INSIDER. “It means they work really hard for their relationship. So they’re likely just to keep giving and giving and giving.

To learn more about intimate partner violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (800-799-7233; toll-free).

The post It’s Not Just Keke Palmer: High-Achieving Women Are Not Immune To Domestic Violence appeared first on Black Health Matters.