Whether they see themselves as tough or just self-reliant, men are less likely than women to seek routine, preventive medical care, like blood pressure and cholesterol screenings. Black men are even worse about this than whites–but for a DIFFERENT reason. This could be one of the reasons that women (in both races) tend to live longer than men.
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While health care is being debated by a black president and a mostly white congress, it’s interesting to note something that may not be “PC,” but is true nevertheless: blacks and whites get different diseases, even here in the US where the lineage of African-Americans is so racially mixed.
For years, scientists have tried to determine the basis for discrepancies between race and the development of diseases such as type II diabetes and heart disease. Could factors such as differences in lifestyle or access to health care play a role, or is there something else going on?
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In honor of the inauguration of the first black President, when many banquets and parties will be held (as well as Martin Luther King Day), we present the following information: we know that Blacks have different immune systems from Whites, now it turns out they have different taste buds too.
It turns out that people of African ancestry are more sensitive to bitter tastes, but of course, African Americans are like our new President Obama?they’re “mutts” (the same as most of the rest of us). In New Scientist, Ewen Callaway quotes geneticist Sarah Tishkoff as saying, “If they have more genetic diversity, there’s more variation in their ability to taste.”
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With Obama’s win, race is on all of our minds. It’s a fact that African-Americans have more health problems than whites. Is this due to genes, or environment pressures?or both? It could also be at least partly due to the fact that minorities get fewer diagnostic medical tests done.
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