World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Why are fewer Black Americans getting GLP-1s?
GLP-1 medicines such as Ozempic and Wegovy were developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, but have become widely known as weight-loss drugs. Despite Black Americans having higher rates of diabetes, research finds they are less likely than white patients to receive newer diabetes medicines, reflecting a long history of unequal treatment and access to care.
The article says diabetes affects nearly 40 million Americans; about 12 per cent of Black adults have it, compared with roughly 7 per cent of white adults. A review of 26 studies found Black patients were around 20 per cent less likely to be prescribed newer diabetes drugs. It traces this disparity from past medical beliefs that Black people could not get diabetes to later tendencies to blame individuals’ lifestyles while overlooking wider social and healthcare inequities.
In short
- Black adults have higher diabetes rates than white adults.
- Black patients are about 20 per cent less likely to get newer drugs.
- Closing the gap requires addressing deeper inequities.
Explained simply
GLP-1 medicines, including Ozempic and Wegovy, were developed to help treat Type 2 diabetes and are also used for weight loss. Diabetes affects more Black adults in the US than white adults, yet research has found Black patients are less likely to receive newer diabetes medicines.
The gap is linked to a long history of unequal care. In the past, some medical beliefs wrongly held that Black people could not develop diabetes; later, explanations often focused on personal choices while giving less attention to differences in healthcare access and wider living conditions.
Americas Celebrity Entertainment Health Medicine Politics World