Priscilla Igho-Pemu , MD, MS, FACP

Internal medicine physicians, often called internists, are adult-only primary care doctors trained to manage the chronic conditions where Black Americans shoulder the heaviest burden. Hypertension affects 56 percent of Black adults versus 48 percent of white adults (AHA, 2024). Type 2 diabetes is 60 percent more prevalent. Chronic kidney disease is 3 to 4 times more common. Internists see you annually, track labs over years, and coordinate care when you need cardiology, endocrinology, or nephrology.

Research in JAMA Network Open (2020) found racial concordance improves medication adherence for chronic disease, largely because patients trust and act on their physician's recommendations at a higher rate.

Conditions internists manage

• High blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes
• Chronic kidney disease (early stages)
• Thyroid disorders, anemia, GERD
• Tobacco cessation and weight management

Advocacy prompts

• What's my 10-year cardiovascular risk score, and how can I lower it?
• Given my family history, when should I start colon cancer screening?
• What does my eGFR mean for my kidney health?