Blacks and poor more likely to donate than receive many types of transpl...( n. Blacks and poor people were more li...),Health

n. Blacks and poor people were more likely to receive than donate kidneys. This is probably due to two factors. First, Medicare pays for virtually all treatment for permanent kidney failure in the United States, regardless of patient age. This means blacks and poor individuals have access to medical care, including kidney transplantation. Second, blacks and poor people have much higher rates of kidney failure than whites and wealthier individuals.

The main finding for living donor transplants involved spousal transplants. Wives were twice as likely to donate to husbands than husbands to wives.

Sehgal emphasized the need to understand the causes of disparities in donating and receiving transplant organs. Some disparities may be unavoidable or even desirable. For example, ensuring a good tissue type match improves survival of transplanted organs but may make it harder for blacks to receive organs. Disparities that are both avoidable and undesirable are more concerning. For example, lack of health insurance may act as a barrier to transplantation among blacks and the poor.
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Contact: George Stamatis
George.Stamatis@case.edu
216-368-3635
Case Western Reserve University
6-Dec-2004

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