Race in Biological and Biomedical Research

Cooper, Richard S.

doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a008573

Cited by 53 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…But the evidence available at that time was fragmentary, based primarily on hospital cases from what was then Leopoldville in the Congo, and White concurred with the prevailing notion of “racial predisposition” ([21], pg151). The body of epidemiologic literature currently available instead points to etiologic forces inherent in the social context in which persons of African descent live as the most likely cause of racial differentials [42]. Research on the link between directly measured racial discrimination and blood pressure in US blacks has been inconsistent [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated hypertension risk for African-origin populations in biracial societies

Cooper

Forrester

Plange‐Rhule

et al. 2015

Journal of Hypertension

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Objectives Blood pressures in persons of African descent exceed those of other racial/ethnic groups in the US. Whether this trait is attributable to genetic factors in African-origin populations, or a result of inadequately measured environmental exposures, such as racial discrimination, is not known. To study this question we conducted a multi-site comparative study of communities in the African diaspora, drawn from metropolitan Chicago, Kingston, Jamaica, rural Ghana, Cape Town, South Africa, and the Seychelles. Methods At each site 500 participants between the ages of 25 and 49, with approximately equal sex balance, were enrolled for a longitudinal study of energy expenditure and weight gain. In this report we describe the patterns of blood pressure and hypertension observed at baseline among the sites. Results Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were very similar in the US and South Africa in both men and women, although among women the prevalence of hypertension was higher in the US (24 vs. 17%, respectively). After adjustment for multiple covariates, relative to participants in the U.S., systolic blood pressure was significantly higher among South Africans by 9.7 mmHg (p<0.05) and significantly lower for each of the other sites: viz, Jamaica, −7.9 mmHg (p=0.06), Ghana, −12.8 mmHg (p<0.01), Seychelles, −11.1 mmHg (p=0.01). Conclusion These data are consistent with prior findings of a blood pressure gradient in societies of the African diaspora and confirm that African-origin populations with lower social status in multi-racial societies, such as the US and South Africa, experience more hypertension than anticipated based on anthropometric and measurable socioeconomic risk factors.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated hypertension risk for African-origin populations in biracial societies

Cooper

Forrester

Plange‐Rhule

et al. 2015

Journal of Hypertension

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“…We are careful to note that race and ethnicity classifications are controversial and may serve only as markers of other factors correlated with the probability of being diagnosed with a brain tumor (30). It has previously been hypothesized that both genetic and environmental factors influence pediatric brain tumor risk; however, the specific factors involved remain poorly defined (31).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Pediatric Brain Tumor Diagnoses in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Abadin

Zoellner

Schaeffer

et al. 2015

The Journal of Pediatrics

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Objective To evaluate evidence for differences in pediatric brain tumor diagnoses by race and ethnicity using a cross-sectional study design in individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Study design Subjects with NF1 were ascertained from the NF1 Patient Registry Initiative (NPRI) and through a clinical record database of patients at a large academic medical center. Logistic regression was employed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to analyze differences in the odds of brain tumor diagnosis by race (White, Black, Asian, Other/Unknown) and ethnic (Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic) groups. Results Data from a total of 1546, 629, and 2038 individuals who were ascertained from the NPRI, clinical records, and pooled datasets were analyzed, respectively. After adjusting for birth year, we observed a significantly reduced odds of brain tumor diagnoses in individuals self identified or clinically reported as Black (OR=0.13, 95% CI 0.05–0.31), Asian (OR=0.15, 95% CI 0.04–0.64), and Other/Unknown (OR=0.61, 95% CI 0.41–0.93) race compared with those with reported as White race. There was no significant difference in the odds of pediatric brain tumor diagnosis by Hispanic ethnicity. Conclusion Consistent with prior smaller studies, these data suggest that pediatric brain tumor diagnoses vary by race in individuals with NF1. Reasons underlying observed differences by race warrant further investigation.

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“…This disparity in disease occurrence suggests that genetic factors mediating disease risk, together with environmental factors, may differ among European and African descent populations (Hunter 2005;Yang et al 2005;Cooper 2013). It has been proposed that genetic risk factors could be more common in African populations because they may have been adaptive in past African environments but increase risk for disease in today's Western environment (Campbell and Tishkoff 2008).…”

Section: Kidney Diseasementioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic Variation and Adaptation in Africa: Implications for Human Evolution and Disease

Gomez

Hirbo

Tishkoff

2014

Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology

109

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Because modern humans originated in Africa and have adapted to diverse environments, African populations have high levels of genetic and phenotypic diversity. Thus, genomic studies of diverse African ethnic groups are essential for understanding human evolutionary history and how this leads to differential disease risk in all humans. Comparative studies of genetic diversity within and between African ethnic groups creates an opportunity to reconstruct some of the earliest events in human population history and are useful for identifying patterns of genetic variation that have been influenced by recent natural selection. Here we describe what is currently known about genetic variation and evolutionary history of diverse African ethnic groups. We also describe examples of recent natural selection in African genomes and how these data are informative for understanding the frequency of many genetic traits, including those that cause disease susceptibility in African populations and populations of recent African descent.

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Race in Biological and Biomedical Research

Cited by 53 publications

References 22 publications

Elevated hypertension risk for African-origin populations in biracial societies

Elevated hypertension risk for African-origin populations in biracial societies

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Pediatric Brain Tumor Diagnoses in Patients with Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Genetic Variation and Adaptation in Africa: Implications for Human Evolution and Disease

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