Black Men, Let’s Talk About the Heart Attacks We Don’t See Coming

The Numbers Don’t Lie—But They Do Scare Us

Heart disease is the #1 killer of Black men in America. That’s not a headline meant to shock—it’s a truth we’ve got to face. According to the CDC, nearly one in two Black men over the age of 20 has some form of cardiovascular disease. We’re more likely to develop high blood pressure at a younger age, and we’re more likely to die from heart attacks and strokes than our white counterparts.

This isn’t about genetics alone—it’s about systemic health inequities, environmental stressors, food deserts, over-policing, underemployment, racism, and a toxic cultural script that says: “Man up. Keep pushing. Don’t let ‘em see you sweat.”

Let’s break that script.

Silent Symptoms We Miss—and Why That’s Deadly

Heart disease isn’t always dramatic. It’s not always a clutch-your-chest-and-fall-over moment. Some of the early warning signs—especially in Black men—are so subtle they’re easy to dismiss as “just stress” or “I didn’t sleep enough.”

Here are some symptoms to never ignore:

Fatigue that lingers for weeks
Shortness of breath while doing light activity
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Mild chest discomfort, pressure, or tightness
Jaw, neck, shoulder, or back pain
Swollen feet or legs
Irregular heartbeat

Sometimes, heart attacks come with no chest pain at all. That’s especially true for Black men who may already have high blood pressure or diabetes. But because we’re used to powering through, many of us ignore these signs until it’s too late.

Stress, Grind Culture, & Black Masculinity

Let’s be real: we’re not just out here dying from clogged arteries. We’re dying from stress—chronic, unrelenting, culturally-specific stress. We carry the weight of trying to provide, to protect, to perform, to survive in a system built against us. That pressure shows up in our blood pressure.

And let’s talk about grind culture—that glorified hustle mentality that tells us rest is weakness and emotions are soft. We’ve internalized the idea that struggle is a rite of passage. “Sleep is for the weak” becomes “stroke is inevitable.” “Don’t cry” becomes “Don’t check on your health.”

Black masculinity has often been defined by toughness, silence, and emotional suppression. But this kind of hypermasculinity is literally killing us. A study from the Journal of Health Psychology found that men who strongly identify with traditional masculine norms are less likely to seek medical help, even when they know something’s wrong.

The Emotional Toll of High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is called the “silent killer” for a reason. It creeps up slowly, and if left untreated, it damages the heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain. For Black men, high blood pressure often starts earlier and hits harder.

But we don’t talk enough about the emotional toll. Living with high blood pressure can make you feel anxious, tired, moody, and even disconnected. Your body is always in fight-or-flight mode. Your mind is always waiting for the next shoe to drop. That stress turns into fear. That fear turns into silence. And the silence becomes deadly.

We deserve joy. We deserve peace. We deserve to feel good in our bodies.

Prevention Isn’t Just About Lettuce

Now, let’s be honest. When most folks hear “heart health,” they picture salads, celery sticks, and flavorless food. But that’s not the only way in. Prevention doesn’t mean you give up soul food—it means you remix it. Collards don’t need pork to taste good. You can air-fry your chicken and still throw down.

Let’s get real about prevention—without shame and celery sticks.

Real Ways to Protect Your Heart—That You’ll Actually Do

Move Your Body—On Your Terms
You don’t need a gym membership or a fitness influencer’s workout plan. Walking 30 minutes a day, playing basketball with your kids, dancing in your kitchen, gardening—it all counts. Movement helps lower blood pressure, reduce stress, and strengthen the heart.
Sleep Like It’s Sacred
Sleep isn’t lazy—it’s revolutionary. Black folks are more likely to get poor quality sleep due to everything from shift work to stress to neighborhood noise. But sleep is when your heart heals. Aim for seven to eight hours if you can. Make your bedroom a sanctuary. Put the phone down. You are not a machine.
Drink Water Like You Mean It
Dehydration stresses the heart. Water keeps your blood flowing smoothly and your organs functioning. Try drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up. Keep a water bottle with you during the day. Small changes make a big difference.
Joy is Medicine, Too
Laugh with your people. Listen to music that moves you. Spend time in nature. Get therapy if you can. Joy is not a luxury—it’s essential to heart health. The heart doesn’t just pump blood. It responds to emotions, too. Protecting your peace is protecting your health.

Community Matters

Heart health is not just an individual issue—it’s a community one. We need more barbershop health screenings, more church health fairs, more culturally competent doctors, more homeboys holding each other accountable.

We also need to talk openly with our brothers, our sons, our uncles, and ourselves. Don’t wait until a funeral to check on your health. Don’t wait until a diagnosis to value your body. Black men deserve wellness. We deserve to grow old.

Black Men, Your Life Is Worth Protecting

It’s possible that the system wasn’t designed with our survival in mind, but our community could be. Acquiring knowledge is the initial stage. Conversing with someone is the next step. Then we will take action.

Let’s rethink what strong means. Traveling to the doctor is a sign of strength. “I’m not okay” is a powerful statement to make. For yourself, for your people, and for the generations who will come after you, strength is the ability to care enough to keep oneself alive.

Mostly because the most radical thing a Black man can accomplish in a world that expects him to die early is to live a long life and to thrive throughout that time.

By Dominique Lambright | Published June 10, 2025