Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 56, Issue 4 , Pages 709-710 , April 2007

Yes, let's abandon race—It does not accurately correlate with hair form

  • Nonhlanhla P. Khumalo, MBChB, FCDerm

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: N. P. Khumalo, MBChB, FCDerm, Division of Dermatology, Ward G23, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory 7925, South Africa

References 

  1. Bigby M, Thaler D. Describing patients' “race” in clinical presentations should be abandoned. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54:1074–1076
  2. Bigby M, Bernhard JD. Proposed policy on identification of race, ethnicity, or skin color in case reports and studies submitted to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54:1077
  3. Unaeze J, Bigby M. The frequency of reporting of race/ethnicity in case reports. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2006;54:1067–1070
  4. Jablonski NG, Chaplin G. The evolution of human skin coloration. J Hum Evol. 2000;39:57–106
  5. Hrdy D. Quantitative hair form variation in seven populations. Am J Phys Anthropol. 1973;39:7–17
  6. Lindelof B, Forslind B, Hedblad MA, Kaveus U. Human hair form. Morphology revealed by light and scanning electron microscopy and computer aided three-dimensional reconstruction. Arch Dermatol. 1988;124:1359–1363
  7. Thibaut S, Gaillard O, Bouhanna P, Cannell DW, Bernard BA. Human hair shape is programmed from the bulb. Br J Dermatol. 2005;152:632–638
  8. Lawes CM, Vander Hoorn S, Law MR, Elliott P, MacMahon S, Rodgers A. Blood pressure and the global burden of disease 2000. Part 1: estimates of blood pressure levels. J Hypertens. 2006;24:413–422
  9. Gray area for new heart failure drug. Although the FDA approved BiDil for blacks with heart failure, it may work in anyone. Harv Heart Lett. 2005;16:1–2
  10. Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S, Dans T, Avezum A, Lanas F, et al. for the INTERHEART Study Investigators Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study. Lancet. 2004;364:937–952
  11. Puddu P, Cravero E, Puddu GM, Muscari A. Genes and atherosclerosis: at the origin of the predisposition. Int J Clin Pract. 2005;59:462–472
  12. Marks GB. Environmental factors and gene-environment interactions in the aetiology of asthma. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006;33:285–289
  13. Bronfenbrenner U. Nature with nurture: A reinterpretation of the evidence. In:  Montagu A editors. Race and IQ (1999 ed). New York: Oxford University Press; 1975;p. 153–183
  14. Smedley A, Smedley BD. Race as biology is fiction, racism as a social problem is real: anthropological and historical perspectives on the social construction of race. Am Psychol. 2005;60:16–26
  15. Knable AL, Hanke CW, Gonin R. Prevalence of acne keloidalis nuchae in football players. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997;37:570–574
  16. Fitzpatrick TB. The validity and practicability of sun-reactive skin types I through VI. Arch Dermatol. 1988;124:869–871

 Funding sources: None.Conflicts of interest: None identified.

PII: S0190-9622(06)02846-5

doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2006.10.016

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 56, Issue 4 , Pages 709-710 , April 2007

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