Talk! with Audrey

Myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the U.S. and the most prevalent among African Americans. It is also the blood cancer with the greatest racial disparity in incidence and prevalence; Black Americans are not only at twice the risk of developing this type of cancer when compared to white Americans and other ethnic groups, they are also more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age.My guests are Laura Ortiz-Ravick, Senior Manager of Outreach & Health Promotion at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and myeloma survivor Kelvin Yates.

With many families having everyone home for every meal, many are looking for unique meal ideas and bold flavors to mix up meal planning. Look no further than the frozen food aisle at your local supermarket. Chef Jamie Gwen joins me now with some of the most useful items to keep in your freezer and provide tips on how to turn them into a unique and satisfying meal.

Lupus nephritis or LN is a debilitating kidney disease that disproportionally affects the Black community, partially due to Black individuals being at a much higher risk of developing severe manifestations following a systemic lupus erythematosus or SLE diagnosis. Joining me to talk about the challenges of living with and treating LN, the racial disparities currently present in the healthcare system, and the future landscape for the treatment of LN, Dr. James Tumlin, Professor of Medicine, Emory University and founder and medical director of the NephroNet Clinical Trials Consortium and Victoria Gibbs, a meditation and yoga instructor, wellness influencer and LN patient.

Prostate cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in men in the U.S., it is more common, aggressive and deadly among Black men, compared to other racial groups. In fact, one in seven Black men will be diagnosed with the disease. Surgeon and urologist, Dr. Arnold Bullock and radiation oncologist Dr. Lannis Hall join me with important information on what all men, especially Black men, should know about prostate cancer.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a devastating inherited blood disorder that occurs in 1 out of every 365 African American births, impacting more than 100,000 people in the U.S. The community has been severely impacted by the pandemic, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listing SCD as one of the populations most vulnerable to severe illness and death from COVID-19. Joining me to talk about the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on those with SCD, and the importance of receiving the vaccine to ensure patients can effectively manage this chronic illness, Lakesha Dickerson, a family nurse practitioner and Sickle Cell Disease patient and Dr. Biree Andemariam, founding director of the New England Sickle Cell Institute (NESCI) at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Rare diseases affect nearly 30 million Americans each year. One rare, progressive kidney disease, known as Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), is the most common, rare, inherited kidney disorder you've likely never heard of. My guest is Nephrologist, Dr. Meyeon Park, Director of UCSF Polycystic Kidney Disease Center of Excellence, she shares the signs, symptoms and impact that ADPKD has on the kidneys.

The flu is a very common but potentially serious illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs. As many as 45 million Americans can get the virus each year, but even people who are vaccinated could still get the flu. Dr. CASEY LAFFERTY, Medical Director at Health First joins me to talk about what to do if you get it, how to protect yourself and your family and about a new preventive option people 12 years of age and older can take if they come into contact with someone who has the flu.

Digital currency is the wave of the future and central banks around the world are weighing introducing a new kind of money – one that will allow us to transact in our digital world, safely and securely by using central bank digital currency (CBDC.) Joining me to talk about digital currency and the wave of financial innovation it might bring forward, David Treat, senior managing director Global Blockchain and Multiparty Systems Lead, at Accenture.

According to the American Diabetes Association, about half of all people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage. Joining me to talk about diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the signs, symptoms and risks, Dr. Nicole Reardon, a board certified podiatric surgeon who practices at the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Francisco.

Dr. Reardon is an expert in limb preservation and advanced wound care and oversees the limb preservation clinic and is a member of two wound care committees at the SFVA Medical Center; for one of which she sits as co-chair.

The K-12 education scene underwent considerable change over the past year, with unprecedented numbers of families considering new schools. Andrew Campanella, President of National School Choice Week, joins me to discuss how school choice can level the playing field, bringing info and options to parents.