Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for men. One in every five men can expect to suffer a heart attack before the age of 65. Between the ages of 25 and 75, men's death rate from heart disease is two to three times greater than that experienced by women in the same age group. One in five men is expected to develop prostate cancer at some point in his life. While female specific cancers also are taking a tragic toll among women, men's mortality from cancer is great than that of women and by the age of seventy-five, men are dying from cancer at twice the rate of women.
Black men are especially at risk.
The cancer death rate for black men is twice that of white males. Death by suicide, accident and violence is also predominantly a male phenomenon. Premature death by suicide, violence or accident is all too common for men. Approximately four out of five deaths by suicide are men. In the 20 - 24 age group, for example, men are over six times more likely to commit suicide than are women.