News and Events

Washington, D.C. (June 21, 2006) - Key medical, research and civil rights groups called a press conference today to endorse action in resolving the disparities faced by Black patients with chronic heart failure, and the necessity to provide the best modern therapy to this population. The leaders participating in the press conference represent the National Minority Health Month Foundation (NMHMF), the National Medical Association (NMA), the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC), the Congressional Black Caucus Health BrainTrust, the Alliance of Minority Medical Associations (AMMA), the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine (IAMMM), and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

During the press conference, Mark B. McClellan, MD, PhD, CMS administrator, called in to voice his commitment to helping Black Medicare beneficiaries with heart failure receive best modern therapy as defined by clinical guidelines. In addition, NMHMF, the ABC, NMA, AMMA and the IAMMM announced the launch of a proactive national quality monitoring initiative, Community HeartBeat! This resource will monitor and report on the quality of care for Black patients with heart failure, using BiDil® as a proxy for measuring quality care consistent with recommended clinical guidelines.

BiDil, a patented fixed-dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first-ever treatment indicated for self-identified Black patients with heart failure. "In Washington, D.C. alone, we determined that approximately 2,000 diagnosed Black patients with heart failure were hospitalized in the past year," said Gary A. Puckrein, Ph.D., executive director, NMHMF. "However, the percentage of Black patients who are getting the drug treatment recommended by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiologists Heart Failure Guidelines and the Heart Failure Society of America Treatment Guidelines, is only in the single digits. This is a treatment inadequacy that must be remedied."

Black Americans between the ages of 45 and 64 are more than twice as likely to die from heart failure than Caucasians and are affected by the disease at a much younger age. Alarmingly, Black patients with heart failure are not receiving standard treatments "All individuals should receive optimal health care to enable patients to live longer and better quality lives," said Sandra Gadson, M.D., President, National Medical Association. "We are here today to focus on eliminating disparities in access to at least the minimum standard of care for the more than 750,000 African American heart failure patients who suffer from this disease."

In a message from the CBC, Congresswoman Donna M. Christensen said that despite the documented benefits of BiDil, "many African Americans face barriers to access to BiDil. Some of these barriers are a function of misunderstanding about this drug treatment, which is why today's event is so critically important to raise awareness about recommended treatment for chronic heart failure among African Americans."

"The Association of Black Cardiologists endorses the AHA/ACC Guidelines, which document differential effectiveness of some treatments for specific patient populations," said Gerald DeVaughn, MD, ABC president. "Adherence to evidence-based treatment and practice guidelines will not only change how a Black patient with heart failure lives with the disease, but can also help reduce costs associated with avoided or delayed hospitalizations, time associated with office-based care and expenses for employers paying both short- and long-term disability benefits."

The effectiveness of the patented fixed dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine was studied in the African American Heart Failure Trial (A-HeFT). A-HeFT, the first study conducted in an all self-identified Black population demonstrated a significant survival benefit in patients taking the drug. FDA's approval of the drug last year triggered an unprecedented national debate about race, genomics, and the role of personalized medicine.

According to Randall W. Maxey, MD, PhD, president of the Alliance of Minority Medical Associations, "Genetic research in the past few decades has uncovered significant differences among racial and ethnic groups in the metabolism, clinical effectiveness, and side effect profiles of therapeutically important drugs. Clinicians and policy makers involved in research, clinical practice, and the development of prescription drug coverage and payment formularies must establish constructive partnerships to assure that all populations have access to the most effective treatments."