In the summer of 2008, a visiting Fulbright professor in Japan was misdiagnosed with advanced kidney disease due to differences in genetic adaptation to sodium levels between populations. The professor, of African American descent, discovered that his ancestors were from a sodium-deficient region in West Africa. This experience sparked a journey into genomic history and the impact of race on medical diagnoses. The professor’s research revealed missed opportunities in understanding the genetic factors contributing to diseases like APOL1-mediated kidney disease. He advocates for a race-free approach in medical diagnoses and treatment, emphasizing the importance of considering ancestral and ecological clues in precision medicine.
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A deadly kidney disease’s possible connection to the slave trade
