Diversity and disparity in the treatment and care of sarcoidosis

Abstract

Purpose of review: Clinical presentation and outcomes in patients with sarcoidosis vary by race, gender, ethnicity, and geolocation. African Americans and female individuals have the highest incidence of disease. They are also more likely to present with more severe and more advanced forms of disease and to die from sarcoidosis. African American females have the highest disease-associated mortality, yet the mortality rate varies by geolocation. The diverse presentation and outcomes in sarcoidosis have often been attributed to genetics and biology, yet this may not be entirely so.

Recent findings: Several studies have shown that African Americans and female individuals are more likely to earn less and be more socioeconomically disadvantaged in society. Patients with sarcoidosis earning in the lowest income strata present with the most severe disease and report more barriers to care. It is plausible that the racial, gender, and geospatial differences in sarcoidosis are more reflective of healthcare disparities than genetics or biology alone.

Summary: Preventable differences in the burden of disease and in the opportunities to achieve optimal health outcomes that are differentially experienced by groups of people disadvantaged by race, gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background should be identified and addressed.