Harm reduction emerged as a set of strategies developed by and for people who use opioids and other substances and strive to do so in ways that are as safe as possible. This article reviews histories of Black and queer community-based harm reduction practices and suggests how these histories can inform harm reduction policy and guide development and implementation of anti-overdose interventions.

Blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) may facilitate testing of historically under-represented groups. The Study of Race to Understand Alzheimer Biomarkers (SORTOUT-AB) is a multi-center longitudinal study to compare AD biomarkers in participants who identify their race as either Black or white. Plasma samples from 324 Black and 1,547 white participants underwent analysis with C2N Diagnostics\' PrecivityAD test for Aβ42 and Aβ40. Compared to white individuals, Black individuals had higher average plasma Aβ42/40 levels at baseline, consistent with a lower average level of amyloid pathology. Interestingly, this difference resulted from lower average levels of plasma Aβ40 in Black participants. Despite the differences, Black and white individuals had similar longitudinal rates of change in Aβ42/40, consistent with a similar rate of amyloid accumulation. Our results agree with multiple recent studies demonstrating a lower prevalence of amyloid pathology in Black individuals, and additionally suggest that amyloid accumulates consistently across both groups.

Syringomas are benign neoplasms derived from eccrine sweat glands. Eruptive syringomas are a subtype of syringomas and are typically located on the chest, neck, and abdomen during puberty or childhood. Herein, we present a 20-year-old African American female with an atypical case of eruptive syringomas, characterized by an unusual distribution on her chest, abdomen, and anterior and posterior bilateral extremities. This case underscores the importance of recognizing diverse presentations of skin conditions in patients with skin of color and adds to the limited reports of eruptive syringoma in these populations. We present and emphasize this atypical manifestation of eruptive syringomas in an individual with darker skin to promote awareness and improve diagnosis and patient outcomes.J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(7):564-566. doi:10.36849/JDD.8103.

BACKGROUND: Poor melanoma outcomes in people of color (POC) are attributed to a variety of factors, including healthcare literacy, socioeconomic status, and healthcare access barriers.  Methods: We designed a survey to determine if visual and audio media (VAM) would increase POC\'s understanding of the need for sunscreen and their willingness to use it. Patients recruited at a dermatology clinic were asked to watch a 2.5-minute video on sun protection and complete a pre- and post-survey assessing their knowledge.
RESULTS: Forty-one (41) patients were recruited, 43.9% of whom identified as POC and 31.7% as Hispanic or Latino. In the post-survey, 100% of participants agreed that daily sunscreen use helps prevent sun-related risks, compared to 68% before (P<.0001). 71% of the participants intended to use sunscreen daily after watching the video, compared to 24% who did so before (P<.0001). One-hundred percent (100%) of Black participants in the post-survey agreed that sunscreen wear helps prevent risks associated with sun exposure, compared to 46% in the pre-survey (P= 0.0052); no significant difference among White participants (80% vs 100%; P=0.1121).
CONCLUSIONS: Small sample size, no long-term follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the persistence of health disparities and the effectiveness of VAM in enhancing Black patients\' healthcare literacy. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(7):525-528.     doi:10.36849/JDD.7821.

UNASSIGNED: Current research in epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) is limited to non-Hispanic White individuals. It is imperative to improve inclusivity by considering racial and ethnic minorities in EAA research.
UNASSIGNED: To compare non-Hispanic Black with non-Hispanic White survivors of childhood cancer by examining the associations of EAA with cancer treatment exposures, potential racial and ethnic disparity in EAA, and mediating roles of social determinants of health (SDOH).
UNASSIGNED: In this cross-sectional study, participants were from the St Jude Lifetime Cohort, which was initiated in 2007 with ongoing follow-up. Eligible participants included non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White survivors of childhood cancer treated at St Jude Children\'s Research Hospital between 1962 and 2012 who had DNA methylation data. Data analysis was conducted from February 2023 to May 2024.
UNASSIGNED: Three treatment exposures for childhood cancer (chest radiotherapy, alkylating agents, and epipodophyllotoxin).
UNASSIGNED: DNA methylation was generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived DNA. EAA was calculated as residuals from regressing Levine or Horvath epigenetic age on chronological age. SDOH included educational attainment, annual personal income, and the socioeconomic area deprivation index (ADI). General linear models evaluated cross-sectional associations of EAA with race and ethnicity (non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White) and/or SDOH, adjusting for sex, body mass index, smoking, and cancer treatments. Adjusted least square means (ALSM) of EAA were calculated for group comparisons. Mediation analysis treated SDOH as mediators with average causal mediation effect (ACME) calculated for the association of EAA with race and ethnicity.
UNASSIGNED: Among a total of 1706 survivors including 230 non-Hispanic Black survivors (median [IQR] age at diagnosis, 9.5 [4.3-14.3] years; 103 male [44.8%] and 127 female [55.2%]) and 1476 non-Hispanic White survivors (median [IQR] age at diagnosis, 9.3 [3.9-14.6] years; 766 male [51.9%] and 710 female [48.1%]), EAA was significantly greater among non-Hispanic Black survivors (ALSM = 1.41; 95% CI, 0.66 to 2.16) than non-Hispanic White survivors (ALSM = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.81). Among non-Hispanic Black survivors, EAA was significantly increased among those exposed to chest radiotherapy (ALSM = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.37 to 4.26) vs those unexposed (ALSM = 0.46; 95% CI, -0.60 to 1.51), among those exposed to alkylating agents (ALSM = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.45) vs those unexposed (ALSM = 0.95; 95% CI, -0.38 to 2.27), and among those exposed to epipodophyllotoxins (ALSM = 2.83; 95% CI, 1.27 to 4.40) vs those unexposed (ALSM = 0.44; 95% CI, -0.52 to 1.40). The association of EAA with epipodophyllotoxins differed by race and ethnicity (β for non-Hispanic Black survivors, 2.39 years; 95% CI, 0.74 to 4.04 years; β for non-Hispanic White survivors, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.05 to 1.31 years) and the difference was significant (1.77 years; 95% CI, 0.01 to 3.53 years; P for interaction = .049). Racial and ethnic disparities in EAA were mediated by educational attainment (UNASSIGNED: In this cross-sectional study of childhood cancer survivors, race and ethnicity moderated the association of EAA with epipodophyllotoxin exposure and racial and ethnic differences in EAA were partially mediated by educational attainment and ADI, indicating differential treatment toxic effects by race and ethnicity. These findings suggest that improving social support systems may mitigate socioeconomic disadvantages associated with even greater accelerated aging and reduce health disparities among childhood cancer survivors.

Overly restrictive clinical trial eligibility criteria can reduce generalizability, slow enrollment, and disproportionately exclude historically underrepresented populations. The eligibility criteria for 196 Alzheimer\'s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) trials funded by the National Institute on Aging were analyzed to identify common criteria and their potential to disproportionately exclude participants by race/ethnicity. The trials were categorized by type (48 Phase I/II pharmacological, 7 Phase III/IV pharmacological, 128 non-pharmacological, 7 diagnostic, and 6 neuropsychiatric) and target population (51 AD/ADRD, 58 Mild Cognitive Impairment, 25 at-risk, and 62 cognitively normal). Eligibility criteria were coded into the following categories: Medical, Neurologic, Psychiatric, and Procedural. A literature search was conducted to describe the prevalence of disparities for eligibility criteria for African Americans/Black (AA/B), Hispanic/Latino (H/L), American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI) populations. The trials had a median of 15 criteria. The most frequent criterion were age cutoffs (87% of trials), specified neurologic (65%), and psychiatric disorders (61%). Underrepresented groups could be disproportionately excluded by 16 eligibility categories; 42% of trials specified English-speakers only in their criteria. Most trials (82%) contain poorly operationalized criteria (i.e., criteria not well defined that can have multiple interpretations/means of implementation) and criteria that may reduce racial/ethnic enrollment diversity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate associations among social determinants of health (SDOH), stress, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and quality of life among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic cancer survivors.
UNASSIGNED: Individuals who had completed cancer treatment and did not identify as White (N = 46) were recruited through community partnerships in western Massachusetts and a state cancer registry.
UNASSIGNED: This descriptive cross-sectional study used questionnaires and morning salivary samples to collect data between June 2022 and September 2023.
RESULTS: Most participants were breast cancer survivors, were female, identified as African American or Black, and reported moderate levels of stress and low physical activity. Cortisol levels were higher among African American or Black participants, those with lower body mass index, and those with less consumption of fruit and vegetables. Higher symptom experience was associated with higher IL-6 levels. No associations were identified between IL-6 and cortisol or perceived stress and cortisol levels.
CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating SDOH in self-reported outcomes, including health behaviors and associated biologic indicators, can facilitate early identification and interventions to improve symptom experience and health outcomes of cancer survivors.

暂无摘要。

UNASSIGNED: In the U.S. South, over half of new HIV diagnoses occur among Black Americans with research lagging for women who face increased HIV rates and low PrEP uptake, among other health inequities. Community engaged research is a promising method for reversing these trends with established best practices for building infrastructure, implementing research, and translating evidence-based interventions into clinical and community settings. Using the 5Ws of Racial Equity in Research Framework (5Ws) as a racial equity lens, the following paper models a review of a salon-based intervention to improve PrEP awareness and uptake among Black women that was co-developed with beauty salons, stylists, and Black women through an established community advisory council. In this paper we demonstrate how the 5Ws framework was applied to review processes, practices, and outcomes from a community-engaged research approach. The benefits of and challenges to successful collaboration are discussed with insights for future research and community impact.

UNASSIGNED: The emergence of widely accessible artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as ChatGPT presents unique opportunities and challenges in public health self-education. This study examined simulations with ChatGPT for its use in public education of sexual health of Black women, specifically in HIV prevention and/or HIV PrEP use. The research questions guiding the study are as follows: (a) does the information ChatGPT offers about HIV prevention and HIV PrEP differ based on stated race? and (b) how could this relatively new platform inform public health education of Black women educating themselves about sexual health behaviors, diagnoses, and treatments? In addressing these questions, this study also uncovered notable differences in ChatGPT\'s tone when responding to users based on race. This study described valuable insights that can inform health care professionals, educators, and policymakers, ultimately advancing the cause of sexual health equity for Black women and underscoring the paradigm-shifting potential of AI in the field of public health education.