Легенды хип-хопа и врачи объединились в Нью-Йорке для борьбы с редким сердечным заболеванием у афроамериканцев

Last week in New York City, hip-hop legends joined forces with medical professionals to raise awareness about a rare heart condition that disproportionately impacts Black Americans. Longtime radio host and journalist Sway Calloway moderated a panel discussion between University of Maryland hoops standout-turned-Brand Jordan exec Howard H. White, University of Maryland cardiologist Dr. Albert Hicks, and rapper Doug E. Fresh and Columbia University neurologist Dr. Olajide Williams, the two co-founders of Hip Hop Public Health. The event was a collaboration between Hip Hop Public Health and BridgeBio Pharma Inc., manufacturers of the prescription drug Attruby, which treats ATTR-CM. What is ATTR-CM? The American Heart Association defines ATTR-CM (Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy) as a condition that occurs when an excessive amount of a natural protein builds up around the heart, making it more difficult for the organ to pump blood throughout the body. Black people are already more at risk for cardiac issues in general: they’re twice as likely to be hospitalized for heart issues, and they have a 50 percent higher rate of heart-related deaths. But 1 in 25 Black Americans carry a genetic variant associated with ATTR-CM, and the disease is often misdiagnosed or undiagnosed — because families are unfamiliar with the genetic variant in their family, and symptoms are overlooked until it’s too late. The panelists spoke about the disease, advances in treatment and why it often goes undiagnosed. White discovered that he had ATTR-CM in 2017, after having trouble breathing while walking up a flight of stairs. In 2024, he founded the Howard H. White Center for Cardiac Amyloidosis to help raise awareness of the condition. What Are The Signs? According to Dr. Hicks, one of the early warning signs of ATTR-CM is carpal tunnel syndrome in both wrists. Even if heart failure doesn’t happen for another 10 years, catching it early can help the prospects of treatment. Still, he admits that there are other symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in legs and feet, bicep tendon ruptures, and other ailments, that doctors often overlook and attribute to old age instead. “If you have a myriad of random symptoms that no one can figure out, and you keep going to doctors and you’re testing negative — you got neuropathy, you’re negative for diabetes, you know, you’re always having these really bad GI problems and no one can figure out what’s going on — it could be something that’s related to a much bigger problem,” Hicks said. He recommends seeking a second opinion – particularly from a doctor of color – if you’re uncertain about your diagnosis. “I always tell people to go with their gut. We know when something’s not right with our body. Don’t take no for an answer. And if someone’s not listening to you, get a second opinion — and preferably get a provider that looks like you as best as you can. We get better care when the provider looks like us.” The Hip-Hop Connection Calloway shared that he had a dental procedure that had to be postponed because of high blood pressure, an issue he has since managed with the help of his doctor. Doug E. Fresh spoke candidly about beloved hip-hop artists who have dealt with serious health conditions, including Kurtis Blow and Christopher “Kid” Reid, who both needed heart transplants, and 1980s Bronx DJ Chuck Chillout, who had to cancel an event to deal with cardiac issues. Fresh encouraged the audience “I think we have our priorities mixed up,” Doug E. Fresh said. “You have to make yourself a priority. You have to look out for self, because if you don’t do that, the inevitable is going to come sooner than you want it to come.” Although hip-hop is often associated with the fast lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, Dr. Williams says that he and Doug E. Fresh aren’t looking to redefine hip-hop health with their organization — they actually see themselves as returning hip-hop to its origins. “I think we’re going back to its foundations. You remember Grandmaster Flash? ‘Don’t push me because I’m close to the edge.’ That was a mental health song,” Williams said in a sitdown after the panel. “It was also about social determinants of health. He’s talking about his neighborhood. He’s talking about the struggle, the impact of poverty, being marginalized, and the cry for help with the mental. Hip-hop began in social consciousness. So I don’t see us as redefining hip hop. I see us as bringing hip hop back to its roots. I think hip hop was the one that went off course, and people like Doug E., and Chuck D., who worked with us at Hip-Hop Public Health, are trying to bring it back.” Panelists also confronted Black people’s reluctance to get medical attention, whether due to work and family obligations or because of distrust of a medical system with a history of racial oppression. Hicks acknowledged the racial bias, but said that shouldn’t stop Black people from taking care of themselves. “As a person who specializes in healthcare disparities, there are a lot of things I worry about telling patients, because it would make the average person not want to go see a doctor, if you know how bad the discrimination and the historical racism is. It’s a lot worse than most people think it is, or it was,” he said. “Having said that, we’re in an age where there’s so many great therapies that we have to find a way to find trusted voices. If you’ve got a great doctor, share that.”