By Karen D. Lincoln, California Health Care Foundation, Image: screenshot from article, December 4, 2024
The intersection of racism and health care continues to have profound effects on Black Americans, particularly as they age. Older Black Americans experience a double burden: the accumulated impact of historical discrimination in jobs, housing, education, and health care, alongside ongoing exposure to systemic racism in the health care system and stressful environmental, social, and economic conditions.
These impacts emerge during midlife, when many Black Americans show signs of accelerated aging due to race-related stress, with increased risk and earlier onset of chronic conditions including diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and dementia.
Access to high-quality health care becomes increasingly critical during middle and older age because proper diagnosis and treatment can help prevent or manage these conditions, reducing the risk of multimorbidity and premature death.
[Please click here for more information and to access the resources.]
Comments (0)