Understanding Autoimmune Diseases In The Black Community Beyond Lupus

While a lot of people are dealing with lupus, research suggests that Black people may have an even higher chance of battling multiple sclerosis (MS). The problem is that data can be sparse because doctors and researchers have only just started to focus on how MS affects the Black community. What little information exists, however, suggests that you should learn as much as you can about the condition. What we Know so Far The first thing you should know is that the information that’s out there about Black people and MS is far from comprehensive. There have been over 60,000 research-based articles about MS published in the last few years but fewer than 120 of those have been focused on Black Americans. Clinical trials and studies also aren’t known to be as diverse as they need to be to address the real-life experiences of Black people.  Nevertheless, there is enough data to show that Black Americans were 47 percent more likely to develop MS. Furthermore, they tend to be underdiagnosed or diagnosed at a later date than other ethnicities. Of those who are diagnosed, a recent study showed that the affected patients were predominantly Black. Unfortunately, being diagnosed is not...