diseases

Diseases don't seem to actually be particular to any one race. This is because everyone was at some point a descendant of Africa so we are all susceptible to all diseases. There are some diseases that some groups of people get more often than others but there is no rule that says only " ___" group of people can get__ __ disease. There is almost always an exception to every rule when it comes to medicine.

Later this year a drug called BiDil is expected to be approved to go on the market. **PROVIDE A LINK -- AND EXPLAIN WHAT IT TREATS** It is the first drug ever to be made for one particular ethnicity. Even though this is true, the clinical study was only done on African American people so there is nothing to say that it isn't effective on people of non African American descent.

Another study was done recently **AGAIN LINK TO THE STUDY** that said that African Americans generally need a higher dose of any given medication to be effective due to an inherent issue in the genetics of blacks.

Sickle cell anemia is a disease long thought to be existent in only the black population until relatively recently when cases of it were seen in other races. It is a gene trait where the red blood cells are sickle shaped instead of round so they clot in the veins. It is most commonly seen in blacks and people of African and middle eastern descent. People think that sickle cell is related to skin color but it is in fact more closely related to the gene that gives people malaria. This again shows that diseases are not race selective but dependent upon genes.

Not just the health of the patient is affected by race. Studies have shown that, though it is sad, some doctors vary the amount of care given to patients based on race because of racial issues that are rooted in the times of slavery. These biases are often affected by the race of the doctor him or herself.

For some, yet unknown reason, blacks consistently come out on top on the lists of risk for disease. They have a higher risk in almost every category. This could be due to a number of different factors. One idea is that their genes and immune system have a harder time coping with diseases than others. Another idea is that due to racial issues blacks are under a much higher amount of stress than other people so their immune system is weaker, thus making them more susceptible to disease.

- The more research i do the more controversial this topic seems to become. Some people think that because everyone came out of Africa at some point it is not feasible to think that people genes make them more susceptible to diseases than others.but still others think that the "numbers' can be explained away by lack of nutrition, and poverty and not having the opportunity for an education.

Continuing Questions-- I want to know why people assume that diseases are race specific, and since they aren't why are doctors treating patients as such.

AnnBibStafford