Men & Heart Disease

Overview

Heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, including coronary artery disease and heart attack.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States, It killed about 357,761 men in 2019—that’s roughly about 1 in every 4 male deaths.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including African Americans, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and whites. For Asian American or Pacific Islander men, heart disease is second only to cancer.
About 1 in 13 (7.7%) white men and 1 in 14 (7.1%) black men have coronary heart disease. About 1 in 17 (5.9%) Hispanic men have coronary heart disease.
Half of the men who die suddenlyof coronary heart disease had no previous symptoms.
Even if you have no symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease.

Sometimes heart disease may be “silent” and not diagnosed until a man experiences signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia. When these events happen, symptoms may include
Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, upper body discomfort, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
Arrhythmia: Fluttering feelings in the chest (palpitations).
Heart failure: Shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins.

In 2013–2016 47% of men had hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.7
Several other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease, including
Diabetes
Overweight and obesity
Unhealthy diet
Physical inactivity
Excessive alcohol use
Stress

To reduce your chances of getting heart disease, it’s important to do the following:
Know your blood pressure. Having uncontrolled blood pressure can result in heart disease. High blood pressure has no symptoms so it’s important to have your blood pressure checked regularly
Talk to your health care provider about whether you should be tested for diabetes. Having diabetes raises your risk of heart disease
Quit smoking. If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do smoke, learn ways to quit
Discuss checking your cholesterol and triglyceride levels with your health care provider.
Make healthy food choices. Being overweight or obese raises your risk of heart disease.
Limit alcohol intake to one drink a day.
Lower your stress level and find healthy ways to cope with stress.