When Culture Meets Care: Bringing Cardiovascular Screening to the Heart of New Orleans

New Orleans is a city steeped in pride for its contributions to local and national culture. Known as the birthplace of jazz and home of Mardi Gras, the enduring spirit of the city resonates through its streets and its people every day.

Annual traditions like the Congo Square Rhythms Festival bring people from around the country together to celebrate the music, food and dance that made New Orleans known around the world.

Alongside its vibrant culture, however, New Orleans is also facing a staggering public health crisis: cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD is a major cause of morbidity, and Louisiana residents are affected at higher rates than those in most other U.S. states.^1,2 This need inspired Amgen and heart health advocates to capture attention, spur action and help drive change on this important issue.

Bringing Screening to Community Spaces

This year, Amgen sponsored a cardiovascular (CV) and metabolic health screening event at the festival during the same weekend as the American College of Cardiology 2026 Scientific Sessions—one of the CV community's largest annual gatherings.

At the event, more than 150 attendees took a blood test to measure their LDL-C (“bad” cholesterol), lipoprotein(a)—also called Lp(a), and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c)—all of which are key, independent risk factors of CVD.^3,4 The screenings took place right at the festival where people were already spending time together—listening to music, sharing meals and celebrating community—which was exactly the point.

“For many people, heart healthcare can feel intimidating or hard to access,” said Lisa Head, Associate Vice President and U.S. Medical Lead for the Cardiometabolic Therapeutic Area, Amgen. “Bringing screening and education into trusted, meaningful community spaces like this can help remove barriers to care and start important conversations that might not otherwise take place.”

Creating Connection Through Lived Experience

Crystal, a New Orleans native, CV patient advocate and 2022 Zulu Queen, shared her story about the importance of proactive CV care at the event.

After being diagnosed with high blood pressure in her twenties, Crystal later experienced chest discomfort that led to the discovery of plaque buildup in her coronary artery and a CVD diagnosis. She learned that her elevated LDL-C was a key risk factor—an experience that underscored how easily risk can go unrecognized before a disease takes hold.

At the festival, Crystal spoke with attendees and encouraged people to learn their LDL-C numbers, ask questions early and take an active role in understanding their heart health. For many, the music festival may have been their first time hearing about LDL-C, Lp(a), or A1C testing. As a deeply respected community figure in New Orleans, Crystal's presence and willingness to share openly made a strong impression.

“Each interaction represented more than a test result; it marked a moment of awareness for someone who might otherwise have gone untested, undiagnosed, or unsure of their CV risk,” Crystal said.

Addressing Risk Before Crisis

Crystal's experience is a prime example of how CVD risk can build quietly over time.^5,6 Elevated LDL-C is one of the most modifiable risk factors for CV events, and when LDL-C stays high, it can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries.^5,6 That buildup can narrow blood flow and, eventually, increase the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke. Even individuals at high risk frequently are not screened—or do not receive appropriate lipid lowering treatment—leaving preventable risk unmanaged for years.^3,7

“Talk to your doctor, understand your risk and advocate for yourself,” Crystal said.

Clinical research has made clear that identifying and addressing elevated LDL-C earlier can reduce CV risk in individuals at high risk, underscoring the importance of pairing scientific advances with efforts that improve awareness and access.

Last year, a large clinical trial called VESALIUS-CV showed that lowering LDL-C with Repatha^® (evolocumab) reduced the risk of a first major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) in adults at high CV risk who had not had a prior heart attack or stroke.⁸ The findings add to the growing body of evidence supporting intensive LDL-C lowering in patients at increased CV risk.

Recent cholesterol guidance issued by the American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and other medical societies also recommends identifying and treating high LDL-C earlier—and for some people at high CV risk, lowering LDL-C even further when levels remain above the recommended goal.

Supporting the Next Step in Care

Scientific progress is essential to improving trends in CVD but translating evidence into everyday care historically has taken time.

On average, it takes 17 years for research findings to be integrated into clinical practice.⁹ This delay underscores the importance of advocacy in helping science reach communities sooner.

Drawing on their own experiences and trusted community relationships, advocates help translate complex medical information into practical understanding, including encouraging earlier screening and diagnosis, and supporting informed conversations between patients and healthcare professionals. Their work complements clinical care by helping people feel prepared, confident and engaged in decisions about their health.

Access to screening is a critical first step, but addressing a major public health issue like CVD requires a holistic approach. For many individuals, barriers to treatment can continue after diagnosis. That's why Amgen is dedicated to supporting CV advocacy partners who are transforming the status quo by meeting people where they are—culturally, geographically and emotionally.

Affordability and access are also central to moving patients from diagnosis to treatment. Amgen has taken important steps to improve access for patients through initiatives like AmgenNow^™, a direct-to-patient program. These efforts build on other progress, as Repatha^® is now the most covered PCSK9 inhibitor monoclonal antibody in the U.S.,^* with 96%^† of patients covered across insurance types, and most patients paying less than $50/month.^‡,10,11 This approach is helping reduce access barriers for patients.

By working alongside advocates in spaces shaped by culture and connection—such as the Congo Square Rhythms Festival—Amgen aims to help accelerate the journey from science to real-world impact, supporting earlier action, stronger relationships and care that always put patients first.

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Footnotes

^*Includes commercial, health exchange, Medicaid, and Medicare lives, as of 2/2/2026, based on MMIT data. Inclusion on formulary does not imply superior clinical efficacy or safety. This information is subject to change without notice.

^†Includes commercial, health exchange, Medicaid, and Medicare lives, as of February 2026, based on MMIT data. Inclusion on formulary does not imply superior clinical efficacy or safety. This information is subject to change without notice. For the most up-to-date and complete information regarding coverage of Repatha, please contact the relevant payer directly. Individual insurance requirements may vary

^‡Based on IQVIA claims data from 1/1/2025 to 12/31/2025 using Commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid data. Patient out of pocket costs and insurance requirements may vary.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System: Prevalence of cardiovascular disease. https://data.cdc.gov/Behavioral-Risk-Factors/BRFSS-Graph-of-Current-Prevalence-of-Cardiovascula/gfhd-2f5y
2. United Health Foundation. America's Health Rankings: Cardiovascular disease in Louisiana. https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/CVD/LA
3. Blumenthal, R. S., Morris, P. B., Gaudino, M., Johnson, H. M., Anderson, T. S., Bittner, V. A., Blankstein, R., Brewer, L. C., Cho, L., de Ferranti, S. D., Gianos, E., Gluckman, T. J., Gradney, K. F., Isiadinso, I., Lloyd-Jones, D. M., Marrs, J. C., Martin, S. S., McLain, K. H., Mehta, L. S., Mora, S., … Wilkins, J. T. (2026). 2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, S0735-1097(25)10254-4. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.11.016
4. Masrouri, S., Hasanpour, A., Ebrahimi, N. et al. Interplay of glycated hemoglobin and traditional risk factors for the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in people without diabetes. Cardiovasc Diabetol 24, 406 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12933-025-02968-2
5. Yusuf, S., Hawken, S., Ounpuu, S., Dans, T., Avezum, A., Lanas, F., McQueen, M., Budaj, A., Pais, P., Varigos, J., & Lisheng, L. (2004). Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study. The Lancet, 364(9438), 937-952. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(04)17018-9
6. American Heart Association. My cholesterol guide. https://www.heart.org/LDL
7. Malick, W. A., Choi, D., Langsted, A., Bittner, V., Nordestgaard, B. G., Stroes, E. S. G., & Rosenson, R. S. (2025). Challenges in achieving LDL cholesterol targets and novel approaches to lipid lowering. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 32(13), 1136-1144. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf123
8. Bohula EA, Marston NA, Bhatia AK, et al. Evolocumab in patients without a previous myocardial infarction or stroke. N Engl J Med. 2025. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2514428
9. Rubin R. It Takes an Average of 17 Years for Evidence to Change Practice-the Burgeoning Field of Implementation Science Seeks to Speed Things Up. JAMA. 2023 Apr 25;329(16):1333-1336. doi: 10.1001/jama.2023.4387. PMID: 37018006.
10. Data on file, Amgen; 2026
11. Data on file, Amgen; 2026