Comments on: Race and CHF

By: James McMurry

James McMurry — Sat, 20 Nov 2004 10:51:01 +0000

I am disappointed in RGL’s comment about studies aimed at “clinical entities,” as I believe we could classify many people for pharmacological interventions that would work in some, while not working in others–all with hte same clinical entity.
I am old enough to have done some “BSP” tests (bromosulphothalein) in medical school. It suggested that a sick liver would fail to extract the IV-administered BSP. While that was true, it was replaced with many other tests that did not involve an IV drug.
Modern pharmaceuticals cost too much to give them to the 15% who will not respond. We need some testing, some may be done on the basis of race, that will pick the “responders” and leave the “nonresponders” to other drugs.

By: RGL

RGL — Tue, 09 Nov 2004 15:50:21 +0000

I, too, don’t understand why this study was limited to African-Americans. All past studies on a number of drugs covered the mosaic of Americans – black, white, brown, and yellow. Which is why we target drugs for particular clinical entities, not for certain ethnic groups.

Some are speculating that this drug combination may be just as effective for other non-black Americans. Why not duplicate the study using other ethnic groups to make that point?

If that study does not duplicate the effectiveness on African-Americans, there may indeed by reason to pursue why this is so. But if
the drug combination proves to be just as effective, there is no reason to pursue future research based on race and ethnic origins.

I understand studies of this sort are not similar to racial profiling, but I hate to see the day when drugs have to be tested separately on browns, whites, blacks, and yellows. Outside of body builds, weights, and few physical traits, most of us are not physiologically not that much different.

By: JournalClub » A new patent for an old drug in a new population

JournalClub » A new patent for an old drug in a new population — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

[...] rnalClub 11/10/2004 A new patent for an old drug in a new population In a much discussed study presented at the AHA meetings in New Orleans and just being published [...]

By: DB's Medical Rants » Grand Rounds 8

DB's Medical Rants » Grand Rounds 8 — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

[...] blacks with congestive heart failure (CHF): db (yours truly) also blogged on this issue – Race and CHF We really need to better understand the underlying genetic predispositions th [...]