whytheracecardisplayed
Oct 17, 20191 min
Updated: May 26, 2023
#health
Scientists have searched for genetic causes to health disparities between blacks and whites but have had limited success. The strongest evidence to da te points to social-environmental factors such as poverty, health care inequities and racism.
Negative social attitudes, such as racism and discrimination, damage the health of those who are targeted by triggering a cascade of aberrant biological responses, including abnormal gene activity. It is not surprising that reports documenting lifespan and causes of mortality have demonstrated a clear pattern:
African Americans die sooner and bear a heavier burden of many diseases, including hypertension, heart disease, dementia and late-stage breast cancer.