2024年功勋成就奖得主,因其对疾病重叠效应的新思考方式而获奖
在Chiadi Ndumele和Janani Rangaswami的案例中,音乐界的损失是科学界的收获.
Ndumele, who grew up in New Jersey, and Rangaswami, who was raised in India, 他们都是有成就的歌手,如果他们没有选择从医,他们可能会从事歌唱事业吗.
From a science standpoint, it's a good thing their musical careers are behind them, and yet they're still taking center stage. Working as a team, 他们帮助建立和定义了心血管-肾脏代谢(CKM)综合征, a new way of thinking about the overlapping effects of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.
Both longtime AHA volunteers, Ndumele和Rangaswami是美国心脏协会2023年总统咨询报告的主要作者,该报告详细说明了CKM综合征的各个阶段,并建议更新风险计算器,以帮助预测一个人心脏病发作的可能性, stroke or heart failure. 他们的工作有望改变世界各地以患者为中心的医疗保健方法.
Plus, their diplomacy and negotiation skills are top-notch, according to those who have worked closely with them. The project tested them both — and they passed with flying colors.
For their service and efforts to help people live longer, healthier lives, Ndumele和Rangaswami将在该组织的年度国家志愿者奖上获得美国心脏协会的功绩成就奖 ceremony on May 2. 该奖项每年颁发给为协会做出重要贡献的个人或组织.
"With their innovative thinking, and ceaseless work to make the presidential advisory a reality, Chiadi and Janani are a powerful pair to elevate awareness of CKM syndrome," said Mariell Jessup, the American Heart Association's chief science and medical officer. “我们特别赞赏他们的工作与我们对所有人平等的关注完美吻合."
Ndumele grew up singing harmony with his family, won collegiate awards for a cappella singing – vocals with no instruments – and even crooned at the White House. “我喜欢唱歌,”他说,“但我一直知道科学将是我的主要职业重点."
Rangaswami是一位受过专业训练的南印度(卡纳蒂克)古典音乐歌手,也是第三代音乐家,他在印度兼顾科学和音乐事业. In the end, medicine won out. "It was really intense and rewarding to have simultaneous careers, but it became too difficult," she said.
One upside is that singing vastly improved her doctor-patient skills.
“作为一名演员,你会学到很多关于解读观众情绪的东西,”她说. “它给你一种同理心和更高的敏感度,你可以把它带到床边, which is something I'm deeply grateful for."
从某种意义上说,高敏感性是心肾代谢综合征的核心. 将患者置于护理的中心,而不是单独治疗每种疾病,为临床医生和患者提供了一种共同决策的整体方法.
“当心脏病专家的建议可能与肾病科医生、内分泌科医生或初级保健医生的建议略有不同时,患者很难驾驭自己的病情. For optimal CKM care, we need to be thinking about strategies from the standpoint of the patient," said Ndumele, 他是巴尔的摩约翰霍普金斯大学心脏病学部门的医学副教授和肥胖和心脏代谢研究主任.
As an expert in cardiovascular-kidney disease, Rangaswami非常清楚将疾病视为独立实体的偏见. 在照顾了几位因心血管疾病负担过重而遭受不良后果的肾脏疾病患者后, she learned about the concept of "renalism,她将这个术语描述为“系统地将肾病患者排除在心血管疾病治疗或试验之外”."
兰加斯瓦米说,美国心脏协会是“提高对慢性肾病综合征认识的完美媒介."
“该项目体现了多学科精神,这是美国心脏协会所代表的精神的一部分. 美国心脏协会汇集了来自众多学科和背景的医学专业人士,以实现最好的科学," said Rangaswami, 华盛顿退伍军人医疗中心肾病学主任,乔治华盛顿大学医学院医学教授.
Ndumele说,AHA是唯一有资格支持CKM综合征背后的主要目标:解决社会因素, such as inadequate nutrition or a lack of places to exercise.
"CKM syndrome is a direct contributor to health disparities, 美国心脏协会的使命包括促进公平和帮助来自各种背景的个人. We deeply appreciate this award and the impactful, powerful science that the American Heart Association makes possible."