HEALTH & WELLNESS
“IN 2021, 22 PERCENT OF DEATHS CAUSED BY HEART DISEASE OCCURRED IN AFRICAN AMERICANS. THIS WAS THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE AMONG ALL RACES.”
complete blockage in his Left Anterior Descending artery, also known as the “Widow Maker Artery”. Fortunately, our fraternity brother, Dr. Marcus Brown, an Interventional Cardi- ologist in Atlanta, had the intuition and the skill to perform the arteriogram and correct the blockage. I am happy to report that our fraternity brother remains healthy and is doing well. This story too often ends with the sudden, and unexpected passing of the individual experiencing similar circumstances. It is good that our brother listened to his body, did not ignore his symptoms and sought
all races. Risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity, exces- sive alcohol use, smoking and family history. We cannot change our family history, but reducing or eliminating all the other risk factors is firmly within our control. There are a few takeaways from our brother’s experience with heart disease that we can all use as lessons learned: 1. Our brother had an existing relationship with a primary care physician. This allowed him to receive prompt attention. One of the most important things any brother can do is to establish with a primary care physician NOW if they don’t currently have one. There is a primary care shortage all over the coun- try and wait times to receive a new patient appointment are often months long. Don’t wait until you have a problem to decide that you need to find a physician.
Find one and schedule an appointment to establish care TODAY! 2. Our brother did not ignore his symptoms. Often, when patients die of a heart attack, we learn that they had symptoms weeks or more before the fatal event. Listen to your body>Don’t ignore symptoms. 3. Take proactive steps to reduce your risk factors today. Eat fewer fatty foods, reduce alcohol intake, don’t smoke, exercise 150 to 300 minutes with moderate intensity each week, and get regular checkups so that you can know where you stand. Together, our partnership with Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Kappa Alpha Psi will be able to assist each brother, and their families attempt to
answer the question, “Are you okay?” My brothers, ask yourself “Am I okay in the area of car- diovascular health”? If you are not 100 percent sure, get checked out now. ♦ Data has been requested to determine what type of mental health resources are needed within our Fraternity. Please complete this anonymous survey and be honest with your responses.
attention promptly. Another week’s delay
could have meant his life. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in African American men. In 2021, 22 percent of deaths caused by heart disease occurred in African Americans. This was the highest percentage among
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For helpful resources with our partner Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, visit: myhealthcantwait.com
Dr. Hernando Carter (Birmingham (AL) Alumni Chapter 2002) practices Internal Medicine at the University of Ala- bama Birmingham School of Medicine.
WINTER 2023-2024 ♦ THE JOURNAL 11
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