Re: "Racial" medicine

On 5 May 2006 12:47:08 -0700, EKurtz99@xxxxxxx wrote:

r norman wrote:
I sometimes see comments here arguing that "race"-based medicine
somehow proves that human races exist despite the frequent arguments
of many biologists, anthropologists, and social scientists to say
otherwise.

I have just seen a news release from an otherwise reliable source
(Medscape from WebMD) that claims in the headline "Race Influences
Side Effects of Cardiovascular Drugs"

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/531798?sssdmh=dm1.192052&src=nldne
(that site may require registration)
Reuters reported the same headline at
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-05-05T153030Z_01_COL555732_RTRIDST_0_HEALTH-HEART-DRUGS-DC.XML&archived=False
(just google on the headline if the long url is too troublesome).

However the actual title of the paper in Brit Med is "Systematic
review and meta-analysis of ETHNIC differences in risks of adverse
reactions to drugs used in cardiovascular medicine" (emphasis added).
In the paper, itself, the word "race" is used only in association with
other studies cited. The paper is careful to refer only to ethnic
groups and ethnicity. The conclusion is careful to state: "Ethnic
group may therefore be one determinant of harms of a given
treatment in the individual patient, either because it acts as a
surrogate measure of genetic make up or because cultural
factors alter the risk."

So let me repeat: There are genetic differences between
subpopulations of the human species that influence susceptibility to
various diseases and medical treatment. There are also cultural
differences between subpopulations of the human species that influence
susceptibility to various diseases and medical treatment. There are
more or less clear-cut ethnic groups that differ in their genetic and
cultural background. In no way does that establish the notion of a
biological "race", even if that word is commonly abused in ordinary
language to refer to collections of ethnic groups containing widely
disparate members.

What evidence, real or imaginary, *would* establish it?

Biologically, a race is a subspecies, a subpopulation which is
relatively homogeneous genetically and distinctly different from
alternative subpopulations which are also relatively homogeneous
genetically. The difference results from some degree of reproductive
isolation, although the races (subspecies) can interbreed with fertile
offspring.

The word "race", when applied to humans, almost invariably means
black/white/yellow or african/european/asian or whatever other term
you wish to apply. These groups are not in any way genetically
homogeneous and distinctly different from the others. The differences
within the groups is as large or larger than differences between the
groups. Clearly one can differentiate between a Tutsi and a Finn,
between an Ashkenazi Jew and a Hmong. But you get enormous
difficulties lining up all the peoples of the world and trying to sort
them into piles. You either end up with an enormous number of piles,
most of which have no clear cut demarcations, or give up and lump
everybody into the same pile. The latter alternative is the
conclusion of science. People interbreed far to readily to maintain
genetic differences. The visible signs we rely on (skin color, for
instance) are so shallow a marker as to be virtually worthless for
genetic identification. And cultural markers predominate over
genetic: Who is a Jew, for example? Why are children of a black/white
marriage usually considered black and not white? Who is a Japanese or
a Russian or an American or whatever? Different groups make very
different types of distinctions?





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Relevant Pages

  • Re: "Racial" medicine
    ... of many biologists, anthropologists, and social scientists to say ... that claims in the headline "Race Influences ... groups and ethnicity. ... differences between subpopulations of the human species that influence ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: "Racial" medicine
    ... of many biologists, anthropologists, and social scientists to say ... that claims in the headline "Race Influences ... groups and ethnicity. ... differences between subpopulations of the human species that influence ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: "Racial" medicine
    ... of many biologists, anthropologists, and social scientists to say ... that claims in the headline "Race Influences ... groups and ethnicity. ... differences between subpopulations of the human species that influence ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: "Racial" medicine
    ... of many biologists, anthropologists, and social scientists to say ... that claims in the headline "Race Influences ... groups and ethnicity. ... language to refer to collections of ethnic groups containing widely ...
    (talk.origins)
  • "Racial" medicine
    ... of many biologists, anthropologists, and social scientists to say ... that claims in the headline "Race Influences ... groups and ethnicity. ... language to refer to collections of ethnic groups containing widely ...
    (talk.origins)