Men’s Health Month Draws Attention To Healthy Heart Care

By Rosaland Tyler
Associate Editor
New Journal and Guide

Roger Peters began to sweat, felt nauseous and dizzy at a July 4th picnic in Virginia Beach last summer but ignored the symptoms until his wife suggested they go to an urgent care clinic.

He walked into the clinic thinking it was food poisoning. Instead, medical providers transported him by ambulance to a nearby hospital. There the doctor, who was about to perform a heart catheterization procedure, told him there was no time to lose. He had just had a heart attack.

“I was no longer in denial about what was happening to me,” Peters said. “The doctor told me that one artery in my heart had 75 percent blockage and another had 80 percent blockage. Two stents were inserted, and the cardiac rehab process began. It blew my mind but I had to really slow down and rebuild my body. Sometimes, I felt tired after walking just two blocks.”

June is Men’s Health Month. Peters’ experience highlights the cardiovascular challenge that many  men face.

After Peters was transported by ambulance to the hospital, he joined the ranks of about 555,000 men and 365,000 women who experience a heart attack each year in the United States. While women typically experience their first heart attack at age 72 and men experience their first heart attack at age 65.5, Peters was stunned because he was only 55 and thought he was in great shape.

Chances are you already know many of the risk factors that disproportionately impact the lives of Black men.

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Black men tend to develop heart disease at an earlier age and experience worse outcomes. They are 26 percent more likely to die from heart disease than whites, and this disparity is particularly pronounced in those younger than 50. The problem is some Black men may not know how to distinguish a heart attack from heart failure. A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood that brings oxygen to a part of the heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked, usually by plaque buildup in the arteries. This blockage can lead to tissue death if blood flow is not restored quickly.

But heart failure means your heart is not pumping enough blood to meet your body’s needs.

Both can be traced back to hypertension, which disproportionately strikes Blacks, who have the highest rates of uncontrolled hypertension worldwide, according to the CDC. Blacks are more likely to experience heart disease, which is an umbrella term that covers multiple cardiovascular problems including heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.

The good news is some Black, male heart-attack survivors are rolling up their sleeves and demystifying heart disease.

Dr. Leo Moore, a Black physician in Los Angeles, for example, wrote a book after he experienced cardiac arrest for 9 minutes and 25 seconds, during an elective medical procedure in January 2023. Moore almost did not leave the operating room alive. As the procedure began, his heart suddenly stopped beating. It took doctors, working frantically, nearly 10 minutes to restart his heart.

“The surgeon didn’t think I was going to make it,” Moore explains on his book cover. “The [intensive care unit] physician stated that he’d never seen anyone come to the ICU after [having] that procedure.”

But Moore recovered. He wrote a book titled, “The Men’s Preventive Health Guide – What to Check, When to Check It, and Why It Matters.”

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Explaining why he wrote a concise, easy-to-read book with chapters that focus on each decade of a man’s life ranging from “Men in their 20s,” to “Men in their 70s,” Moore said, “I have seen so many Black men dying early. I wanted to create a tool that men can use to go to their doctor and feel confident knowing what screenings and vaccinations and important topics to discuss with their doctor.”

Moore said he began to write his book after he wrapped up a seminar in Palm Springs and a young man in the audience said he would like to take the tips he’d heard to a doctor’s visit. The framework of the book starts with what young Black men need to know to take care of themselves. Then, he added a chapter for middle-aged men and others.

The book is designed to be portable. Men can take it with them during healthcare visits and use it as a guide for treatment. The book lists vaccinations, as well as conversations to have with caregivers. The book includes a helpful checklist at the end of each chapter.

Another man who has taken a preventive approach to heart care is Buffalo Bills star Damar Hamlin, who experienced cardiac arrest at age 24 during a football game in January 2023. Hamlin collapsed after making a tackle in the first quarter of the Jan. 2, Bills-Bengals game. Doctors and trainers administered CPR on the field before an ambulance transported Hamlin from the stadium to a nearby hospital. Players, coaches, and fans watched in shock, unsure if he was alive.

“As you know, CPR saved my life earlier this year on the field. And CPR could easily save your life or someone you love,” Hamlin told CNN in February 2023 when he announced his partnership with the American Heart Association. It is called Damar Hamlin’s Three for Heart CPR Challenge.

Explaining how it works, Hamlin said, “Step one, go to heart.org/3 to watch a short video to learn hands-only CPR. Step two, donate to the AHA to fund CPR awareness and education. And step three, challenge three friends to do the same.”

Although his heart stopped beating, he recovered. Nine days later, on Jan. 11, Hamlin was discharged from a Buffalo medical center. Now, he is a national ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers movement. You have probably seen Hamlin in public service announcements. He urges teens and adults to learn how to save a life during a cardiac emergency.

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Experts say when someone is experiencing cardiac arrest, call 911 immediately. Obtain professional help as quickly as possible. When the heart can’t pump blood to the brain and the lungs, the person may become brain damaged or die within minutes. In some public spaces, you may see an automated external defibrillator, or AED, a lightweight device that shocks a person’s heart back into regular rhythm.

Or perform CPR. Put your hands in the center of the person’s chest and press hard at 100 to 120 beats per minute. When you perform CPR, you are literally acting like an external heart.