Black men have THE lowest life expectancy, compared to Black women and white men and women. And one of the primary drivers of Black men’s high death rates? Heart disease.
Black men are at the greatest risk of having a stroke and are more likely to have one at a younger age - Patrice O’Neal, Nate Dogg, and Luther Vandross all died due to stroke, which is linked to having high blood pressure.
High blood pressure or hypertension affects 40% of Black men and women and develops earlier in the lives of Black people, usually with more severe effects.
In fact, it’s known as a “silent killer” because of how it damages the body without any symptoms...
“By the time individuals with hypertension begin having symptoms, it means that the cumulative effects of elevated blood pressures, often over many years, have begun to cause damage to body organs such as the eyes, brain or kidneys,” says Dr. Carrie G. Lenneman, Associate Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The abysmal state of Black men’s health is a direct result of their dealing with discrimination, unemployment, poverty, and other racism-related stressors that wear and tear down the body.
We need to fight for better ways to live healthier and a more trustworthy medical system that can get Black men the help they need to live longer and better.