Stressed to Death

According to the CDC (Center of Disease Control and Prevention), the greatest cause of death for ALL African American males is heart disease. Heart disease?! Yes, and don’t skip over this article young man, this applies to you too… especially you! z Black males between the ages of 18-49 (40%) are 2x more likely to die from heart disease when compared to their white counterparts. z Young black males are dying from a disease that normally affects older white males. Why is that? z Could this be because 38% of black males are obese? Is it because 23% of black males 18+ smoke cigarettes? z Maybe it is because 40% of black males 20+ have hypertension (high blood pressure)?
I do know from personal experience that the stress of being in “survivors’ mode” eats at your overall health. The CDC findings show that the #1 cause of death for black males between the ages of 1 year-44years old is homicide. Fear of living in impoverished communities where poverty breeds crime; or fear of being targeted by those that are supposed to police crime. If you pair the fear of dying daily in a community that is saturated with poor eating options and add lack of resources for proper education, I believe it’s easier to understand why heart disease is abundant amongst
black men. I know you’re thinking “Well, what’s a man to do?!” I’m glad you asked. First, have your blood pressure checked to identify if, as we all should, to see if you need further evaluation. Monitor your diet (reduce to eliminate processed sugars and fried foods).