Racial bias tied to levels of inflammation protein

The Boston Globe
February 8, 2010

Experiencing frequent racial discrimination, from signs of disrespect to outright harassment, has been linked to poor health. A new study pinpoints one protein that may be involved in higher rates of cardiovascular disease among people facing racial bias.
Tene Lewis of the Yale School of Public Health led a team that asked almost 300 African-Americans, whose average age was 73, about discrimination they felt in their daily lives. The participants filled out questionnaires, had physical exams, answered questions about their medical histories, and gave blood samples that were used to determine levels of C-reactive protein, or CRP. The protein, which increases with inflammation, has been tied to cardiovascular disease.
Participants were divided into high-, moderate- and low-discrimination groups, and those who reported experiencing the highest level of discrimination had CRP values that were 60 percent higher than those in the low-discrimination group, the researchers found.

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2010/02/08/racial_bias_tied_to_levels_of_inflammation_protein/