Despite the decrease [in asthma in recent years], racial disparities persist. One in six black kids suffers from asthma – the highest of any ethnic group.
They are twice as likely to have asthma, and are about three times as likely to die of complications from asthma as white children, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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[“One of our hypotheses is…that the most commonly prescribed drug for asthma is albuterol. The problem is that not everyone responds to albuterol the same way. And actually, Puerto Rican and African-American children have the worst drug response[,” Marquitta White said.]…
But on average, 60% of what determines whether or not you have asthma is going to be due to genetic factors…A number [White] says can range from 35 to 90%, depending on the population.
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“I think that what we should be striving for is equal care for everyone, and in order to do that you have to know what the disease is doing in everyone. That’s step one,” White [said.]
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Could genetics explain why black children are more likely to die from asthma?
