The Black American Amputation Epidemic

[SideStep]

Black patients lose limbs at a rate triple that of others, despite the fact that diabetic amputations are, by some measures, the most preventable surgery in the country.

African Americans develop chronic diseases a decade earlier than their white counterparts.

There were pockets of the country where no one was getting angiograms, and it seemed to be along racial and socioeconomic lines.

Full Story: Black Agenda Report

[malaise]

1. They need Cuban doctors

Cuba has done excellent work with diabetic patients

[SideStep]

2. Often it is just access to doctors.

Mississippi has the fewest doctors per capita of any state. Massachusetts has the highest number of doctors per capita.

Mississippi: 37% black

Massachusetts: Under 9%

Our problems run deep and these are areas that almost require a federal response.

Bring on the Cubans!

[malaise]

3. The drug will work

[crickets]

4. Absolutely. Consistent access to adequate medical care is a huge part of the problem.

Welcome to DU, SideStep!

[roamer65]

7. In the US, doctors go where the money is...very sadly.

I have no problem with Cuban doctors helping us.

[Lars39]

8. And home health visits.

Nurses help with meds, wound care, feet care etc that can slow or stop getting to the amputation stage.

[Ms. Toad]

6. Do they work on the underlying disease -

or in minimizing the limb-threatening consequences? How do they do with cardiovascular consequences?

(Pointing me to a resource is fine - I'm doing battle with my doctor at the moment over cardiovascular consequences so I'm curious if there are resources I haven't found in my search of medical articles)

[malaise]

9. I am not a medical expert but there are several peer reviewed articles on Cuba's advanes

related to Diabetes. You can google for peer reviewed articles.

Here is an interesting read
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cuba-medical-innovations_n_56ddfacfe4b03a4056799015

Cuba Has Made At Least 3 Major Medical Innovations That We Need
<snip>
By most measures, the United States' business-friendly environment has proven to be fertile for medical innovation. Compared to other countries, America has filed the most patents in the life sciences, is conducting most of the world's clinical trials and has published the most biomedical research.

That's what makes the medical prominence of Cuba all the more surprising to those who view a free market as an essential driver of scientific discovery. Cuba is very poor, and yet the country has some of the healthiest, most long-lived residents in the world -- as well as a medical invention or two that could run circles around U.S. therapies, thanks to government investment in scientific research and a preventive public health approach that views medical care as a birthright.

The island nation, hemmed in by a 54-year trade embargo with the U.S., can’t exchange goods with one of the world’s largest economies and the largest medical market. Still, the country is an unlikely global leader in public health and scientific investment.

"If people knew about these cutting-edge treatments coming out of Cuba, people would want to have them," said Pierre LaRamée, executive director of the Oakland-based Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba, which advocates for Cuban medical inventions in the U.S. and publishes an international, peer-reviewed journal focusing on Cuban health and medicine.

[Ms. Toad]

14. Thanks.

Looks like that advance is specific to foot ulcers. Fortunately, I'm not impacted by healing issues related to diabetes - although I have (non-biological) relatives who are.

I'm basically as healthy as an ox, aside from dawn phenomenon (which pumps my morning blood glucose into the abnormal range for mornings).

[malaise]

10. If I were you I'd email Lancet or one of the respected medical journals

and raise questions about cardiovascular consequences. It's a serious question.

[Ms. Toad]

13. The particular dispute

is whether statins are necessary for cardiovascular when diabetes is well-controlled (with normal weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.) and there are multiple generations of diabetes (with no family history CVD). Multiple moving parts - but it is specifically diabetes in the absence of metabolic syndrome that I'm looking for.

Doctors (and the American Diabetes Association) assume no one can control diabetes, so regardless of level of control and other risk factors they want to hit you with statins (which permanently vascular calcification - and may be impicated in dementia, for which there is a family history).

[malaise]

15. It's an excellent question

Big pharma has blocked off most of the serious medical discussions that matter to people.

[Ms. Toad]

16. So far I've found one article since the push for universal statins started

that expressly suggested that statin therapy is not warranted unless you have metabolic syndrome. Unfortunately it was when I was just browe-searcing and I have not been able to locate it again (or any other discussion) about people with diabetes without CVD. Vitually every article starts with the assumption it is present.

[Solly Mack]

5. K&R

[Coventina]

11. I know an AA man who was pressured to amputate his leg.

His wife is a friend of mine.

She was dealing with a family emergency when he had to check into the hospital.
His leg was taken before she was able to get there and even be informed about it.

Shameful.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. The systemic racism in healthcare is staggering. K&R.