Crippling disease often not diagnosed—unless you’re white

February 28, 2023
by RJ Hamster

THESE DOCTORS DIAGNOSED BASED ON RACE. THEY GOT IT WRONG.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we show how physicians often misdiagnose and delay treatment of cystic fibrosis, make a volcanic discovery in the South Atlantic, encounter animal allies against cancer, capture awesome images with the world’s smallest scanning electron microscope … and get ready for a don’t-miss highlight in the night sky.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TERRA FONDRIEST

His entire life Terry Wright (shown above) has endured severe stomach pain and lung infections—and has been in and out of hospitals. At age 38, a doctor told him if he weren’t Black, he’d probably be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

At age 54, he was.

What was the life-changing delay? Why are Black and Latino patients getting inferior care? How often does this happen? More than you think on rare diseases and other issues, writes Bijal P. Trivedi.

Read the full story here.

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This doctor got it right: Pulmonologist Larry G. Johnson (at right) withTerry Wright during a checkup earlier this month. It shouldn’t be this hard to get proper care, particularly with rare diseases. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY NATIONAL PHYSICAL LABORATORY CROWN COPYRIGHT, SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

New AI may be able to pass the Turing test. Who was Alan Turing (pictured above)?

A volcanic discovery in the South Atlantic

Wednesday’s don’t-miss night-sky highlight: Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon

Can we live longer by cleaning out our old cells?

Move it and use it: Tips to keep an aging brain healthy

How the global donkey skin trade risks spreading deadly diseases Related: Amazon sued by California for selling donkey meat

Is it possible to delay the ticking clock of fertility? Here’s what you need to know about freezing your eggs.

It took centuries to decode the secret messages of this queen

Why is there no Feb. 29 this year?

Meet 10 storytellers refocusing the narrative of Africa, with support from the National Geographic Society

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHNER IMAGES, GETTY IMAGES

These animals can detect human disease: What does cancer smell like? You don’t need a hound dog (pictured above, a beagle) to sniff it out. Animals such as worms and ants can be trained in minutes to detect markers of illness, from COVID to tuberculosis, Nat Geo reports.

UNLIKELY ALLIES AGAINST CANCER

OVERHEARD AT NAT GEO

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ELKE BERTOLLI AND JOHN NILSON

Music and migration: Two Nat Geo Explorers — Jahawi Bertolli (left) and Meklit Hadero (right) — work on the intersection of nature, migration, and music. “We have to be aware of our embeddedness in the natural world and not see ourselves as separate, as dominant, as better than,” Hadero tells Overheard, our weekly podcast. The jazz musician creates art by listening to nature and dissecting the rhythm of a place. Bertolli, a former DJ and wildlife cinematographer, draws his inspiration from adventure and ancient historical instruments. “As long as people see themselves outside of nature, we can’t find the solutions that will help us rebalance the world,” Bertolli said.

LISTEN HERE!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY AARON HUEY, @ARGONAUTPHOTO

Smaller than a speck of dust: These hundred million-year-old microfossils of plankton are called radiolarians, and they’re in your backyard. This image, or rather a patched together series of images, was taken by Nat Geo Explorer Aaron Hueywith the world’s smallest scanning electron microscope. The skeletons like those pictured help scientists study global warming because their chemical signatures can tell us about ocean health millions of years ago, Nat Geo reports.

AWESOMENESS AROUND US

Today’s soundtrack: Love and Happiness, by Al Green

We hope you liked today’s newsletter. This was edited and curated by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Have an idea or a link for us? Write david.beard@natgeo.com. Happy trails!

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RJ Hamster

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Crippling disease often not diagnosed—unless you’re white

Crippling disease often not diagnosed—unless you’re white

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