PORTLAND, Ore. — Providence is adding a new cardiac health center to tackle a heart condition that can often be missed and one that also disproportionately affects the Black community.
"I think the important message now is early diagnosis and early treatment can bring hope, where, previously, the diagnosis was more grim,” said Dr. Jacob Abraham, the section head of advanced heart failure at the Providence Heart Institute.
He alongside other doctors, like medical director and cardiologist Jenna Kay M.D., will be joining the team at the Howard H. White Center for Amyloidosis.
"So, we are bringing together experts who can help to lead to a diagnosis and then manage this condition called cardiac amyloidosis," said Abraham.
He describes the disease as an underdiagnosed condition that results in problems with the heart's rhythm or stiffness, not allowing the heart to pump blood properly.
"It's estimated that 3 to 4% of African Americans may harbor a gene mutation that increases their risk of having this condition," said Abraham. “Even though we estimated that 3 to 4% of African Americans can harbor this, it’s probably much more prevalent than has been estimated in the community, whether African American or not. And in the last decade or so, there has been tremendous advances in the diagnosis of the condition, and probably more importantly, we have approved treatments.”
Diagnosis is made through extensive medical and family histories, state of the art diagnostic imaging and genetic testing. Symptoms and signs often overlap with common conditions, like high blood pressure. The diagnosis is frequently delayed or missed entirely in Black people, so Providence is trying to change that.
"You know, the reason why African Americans may harbor that mutation probably just has to do with ancestry," he said.
One of them is former college basketball star and vice president of Jordan Brand, Howard "H" White. The new clinic is named after him, Abraham said. White was actually misdiagnosed with another condition, like many are.
"It was only after invasive testing that we were able to confirm that he, in fact, has this condition," said Abraham.
White's disease was too far advanced, and he received a heart transplant. He, alongside others, like Michael Jordan, Nike founder Phil Knight and rapper Ludacris invested money early on into the clinic; Jordan donated $1 million in support of the new center.
"If you believe anything is possible, you owe it to the world to help someone else believe. I believe this new center will help save more lives, help people avoid needing a heart transplant, like I did. And I'm both humbled and inspired by the friends who are joining in to help. Providence makes this belief a reality," said White to Providence.
The Howard H. White Center will work on creating diagnostic and treatment plans for each patient reached through early detection. Treatments include medications, clinical trials, and in some patients, heart transplants.