Knoxville, TN event shines light on underdiagnosed heart condition in African Americans

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — February is Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women but in many sub-groups, the risk is even higher. A local organization is getting the word out about an underdiagnosed medical condition that the African American population is especially at risk of developing.

It’s a condition you probably haven’t heard much about, amyloidosis. Amyloidosis is a disease that occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in organs.

“One of the forms is hereditary and importantly, in the United States, it is most commonly seen in Black populations and those of African American and Afro-Caribbean descent. The reason for that is the abnormality in the DNA, which we call mutations, in the DNA are prevalent in up to 4% of African American populations and this hereditary form goes from one generation to the next generation, so it’s not just limited to the person who has the medical problem right now,” said Chicago cardiologist, Dr. Saurabh Malhotra.

He is making stops across the country to share information on the disease and its impact on the body and its effects on not just your heart but other organs which will cause them to not work properly.

“The reason I bring that forward as probably a more important factor is because it’s a generational problem. It doesn’t end in one generation and goes to the next and the next and can affect a community’s ability to improve and not only from a health perspective but also from a socio-economic perspective. Some of the features of this, thought to be rare but we now know it’s not that rare, the medical problem has overlaps with other more common medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, which are also so more prevalent in the Black population,” said Malhotra.

Knoxville-based New Direction Health Care Solutions, Inc. is hosting Malhotra. You may have seen the work the group does with COVID-19 vaccine access.

“We came in contact with Dr. Malhotra through our Faith Leaders Initiative where he was our subject matter expert and he wanted to come to Knoxville to share about this important disease. So, we are really excited about it,” said Cynthia Finch, New Direction president. 

Malhotra is the Director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging and Clinical Research; Associate Professor of Medicine; Cook County (IL) Health and Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL.

The workshop is called, “All About Your Heart! and Finch said it’s personal.

“I’ve heard about many issues that deal with the heart because my mother actually died from a dissected aorta which is around the heart. So me and my family, every time there is some conversation about the heart and its impact on African Americans we listen.”

She’s hoping others will listen and come out to preemptively catch this devastating disease.

The All About Your Heart workshop will take place on February 29 from 11:30 – 2:00 p.m. at the Change Center on Harriet Tubman Street. The event is free, and lunch will be served. To RSVP call (865) 415-2450 or email newdirectionhcs@gmail.com. 

The event is supported by UT Medical Center, the Faith Leaders Church Initiative and C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries and is funded by the Tennessee Department of Health and the Lawson Foundation.