Dear Closing the Health Gap Community:



Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death in Cincinnati. Most of those cases are Type 2 diabetes which we know affects African Americans at a higher rate. The Center for Closing the Health Gap is accepting our next cohort for the 12 week Diabetes Challenge—designed to empower individuals with prediabetes or Type 2 diabetes. 

Starting April 7, participants will receive guidance from personal trainers, nutritionists, life coaches, and yoga instructors, all at no cost. This is more than a program—it’s an opportunity to change lives and break the cycle of diabetes in our community. If you or someone you know is eligible, we urge you to join us. You can sign up from the flyer below. Together, we can create a healthier, stronger Cincinnati. Will you accept the challenge?

Thank you and please have a safe and blessed week ahead!

Renee Mahaffey Harris

President & CEO

Healthy news and information from Cincinnati Healing Arts

It's the first week of the month and time for some more fascinating articles about the many facets of natural, drug-free health from Cincinnati Healing Arts:

Tech Neck to Text Neck: Modern Solutions for Digital Age Posture Problems

Is your phone habit hurting your neck?

Weather Changes and Your Joints: Understanding the Connection

Can you feel the weather in your joints?

Core Strength: Your Spine's Best Friend

Your core is more than just abs.

Click here to read these articles.

LOCAL 12: Cincinnati neighborhood gets first full-scale grocery store in 17 years

After 17 years, Avondale is celebrating the opening of a new full-scale grocery store, the Country Meat Co. Marketplace.

"It's exciting to be here," said Denise Jones, a customer. "It means a lot to me; it means a lot to our community as well." The last full-service grocery store in Avondale closed its doors in 2008, leaving residents with limited options for fresh produce and meat.

"The fact we now have a grocery store in Avondale, and it’s Black-owned, it’s a phenomenal step," said Renee Mahaffey Harris, CEO of The Center for Closing the Health Gap. Harris was also a member of the city's Food Desert Task Force. She said that it takes the right recipe of business investment and educating neighbors about what a store like this could mean to them.

Click here for the full story.

Study reveals widening heart disease disparities in the US

A study published March 6 in The Lancet Regional Health — Americas highlights a growing divide in cardiovascular health in the U.S., showing that wealth and education play a significant role in heart disease risk.

The research, led by Salma Abdalla, MBBS, DrPH, an assistant professor of public health at Washington University in St. Louis, reveals that the top 20% of high-income, college-educated Americans have far lower rates of cardiovascular disease than the rest of the population — disparities that have widened over the past two decades. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of illness and death in the U.S., but this emerging research highlights diverging trends; the remaining 80% of the population continues to face higher risks, reflecting the nation’s growing income gap.

Click here for the full story.

Rural-Urban Disparities in Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality Among US Women

Women living in rural areas, particularly minoritized populations, face health care shortages contributing to suboptimal cervical cancer screening and care. Recent evidence shows an increase in cervical cancer incidence in the US; however, rural-urban disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality remain unclear.

In this cross-sectional study, we used the National Program of Cancer Registries and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (NPCR-SEER) database³ to identify cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer mortality data were obtained from death certificates recorded by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Click here for the details.