Black men in New York City face a variety of health challenges, including a disproportionately high rate of undiagnosed, life-threatening heart disease.
Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan has been working with a nonprofit group called Real Dads Network to do something about it. The two have partnered to provide free heart health screenings, specifically targeting Black men, in hopes of detecting serious heart conditions sooner, saving lives along the way.
All Things Considered host Sean Carlson last week discussed the initiative with Mount Sinai Dr. Incilma Fergus and Kenyatta Rouse, who is part of the Real Dads Network and a former NYPD detective.
A lightly edited transcript of their conversation is below:
Sean Carlson: Doctor, why are Black men more likely than other groups to have undiagnosed heart conditions? Is it an issue of access to care or problems overlooked?
Dr. Incilma Fergus: I’m happy to be here to answer such an important question. So, it’s multifactorial. It’s not a simple answer, but part of it would be what you call the social determinants of health, social and or structural determinants of health, such as access. But I think that a large portion also has to do with understanding the culture of Black men. Sometimes there’s pride involved or, you know, just feeling that they may not be manly enough going into the doctor all the time. So the type of thing that we’re doing, going out into the community and reaching out to people — where they can talk and they can feel that they can trust the individuals — is really helpful and we hope will help to eliminate some of these disparities.
Carlson: Kenyatta, can you briefly tell us about how changes in your own health led to increased awareness about the need for regular screenings?
Rouse: As we always say at the Real Dads Network, I will die for my family. I’ll do anything for my family. So what we are trying to do at the Real Dads Network is change that narrative and say, “Let’s live for your kids and let’s live for your family because we want to be around.” And we want to be healthy, too, to see our family nourish and grow and, and healthy for ourselves.
Carlson: Doctor, you mentioned social determinants, lifestyle factors — things like housing, neighborhood safety, food deserts. How do those things affect cardiovascular risk?
Fergus: Take food deserts for one. In Harlem there are many great places, but in the surrounding boroughs, for instance, where many Black men live, there may not be healthy, accessible fresh foods. People may be eating more processed foods. Processed foods may be higher in sodium, which of course will make the blood pressure higher, higher in sugar. Which of course can give someone diabetes or elevate their blood sugar. And if things are processed and fried, then you have elevated cholesterol that can be a result of all of that.
So right there you have three major risk factors for the heart. And heart disease is 80% preventable. But if people are not addressing these risk factors, they can lead to heart disease, including heart attacks, heart failure, and/or cardiac arrhythmias, which are heart irregular beats.
Carlson: Kenyatta, you work with a lot of Black fathers while doing your work with the Real Dads network. What message would you want to give to Black fathers who might be listening right now and are hesitant to engage with the health care system?
Rouse: To definitely go to your doctor and also to the Real Dads Network’s Fatherhood and Family Center in Spanish Harlem (at 1445 Madison Ave.). It’s a welcoming, warm place. You know, a lot of us men, we have egos, but you can just come in there. The staff of Mount Sinai is there. The doctors, the nurse practitioners are there to do the screening, and we’ll get you in and out, give you a beverage, and have something to eat after your testing is done. It’s a non-judgment space for men of color.
Carlson: Doctor, knowing the disparities that do exist in this population, what steps can the medical community and doctors take to improve early detection in Black men beyond free heart screenings?
Fergus: I think exactly what Kenyata just spoke about, having a space that people feel comfortable, they feel welcome, they feel warm, they’re not judged, they don’t have to worry about distrusting the healthcare provider. And access — the Fatherhood and Family Center is right across from Mount Sinai Medical Center on the Upper East Side. Our clinics are there, our cardiovascular health clinics are there. So I think that, again, going out into the community, meeting people where they are and listening to them.
Carlson: Doctor, before we let you go, we wanted to ask you, if folks are feeling like something may be off, what symptoms should they be looking out for when it comes to these kinds of heart conditions?
Fergus: Typically you describe something like an elephant sitting on your chest. Maybe you feel pain radiating, radiating down the left arm or into the jaw, shortness of breath, feeling dizzy, any of those. But I would say, simply put, if you’re just not feeling yourself and it’s pervasive, it’s ongoing, then seek help.
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