Picture this: You’re doing your thing, enjoying life’s moments, when suddenly outta nowhere, you’re hit with a health scare. Maybe it’s shortness of breath or unexplained fatigue. Maybe you feel dizzy or have chest pain.
At first, you brush it off, thinking it’ll pass – but then it doesn’t. Soon, you seek medical help, only to find out you’ve got a condition you’ve never even heard of: ATTR-CM.
If you don’t know, Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition, and it’s catching a lotta people off guard. Characterized by excessive and abnormal proteins in the heart, ATTR-CM may be a particular problem for Black folks.
According to recent studies, ATTR-CM is most common in older men of African descent, with about four percent of Black Americans carrying a gene mutation that makes them more likely to develop it.
Whether you have the condition and understand it well, or simply suspect you might be dealing with it, it’s never too late to understand the barriers.
Here are five challenges to be aware of – and then we’ll cover what we can do about ’em.
RELATED: ATTR-CM: Understanding This Rare But Serious Condition
1. People Simply Don’t Know
When it comes to ATTR-CM in the Black community, there’s just so little awareness. Heck, the acronym for the disease itself sounds like a computer code! ATTR-CM? What in the world is that?
Due to the general lack of education and recognition (and the fact that it only affects ~five in 100,000 people), it’s no wonder ATTR-CM flies under the radar. In certain urban communities, where healthcare literacy may be lower, opportunities for early intervention and treatment are often missed.
2. Lack of Medical Attention
Not necessarily a fan of doctors? Don’t know who to trust or where to turn for culturally sensitive treatment? You’re not alone. In fact, it is well established in the literature that Black patients often struggle with a mistrust of the medical system, stemming from
