According to multiple reports, rapper Earl ‘DMX’ Simmons, 50, is still on life support after following a heart attack.
After a reported overdose, the rapper was admitted to a New York hospital, sources confirmed to TMZ, Billboard, and Variety on Saturday. DMX’s attorney said the artist, whose real name is Earl Simmons, had a heart attack, according to ABC7.
Many illegal drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and various forms of amphetamine, can have adverse cardiovascular effects, ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injecting illegal drugs also can lead to cardiovascular problems, such as collapsed veins and bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves.
The Yonkers rapper has struggled with drug issues. Back in October 2019, he canceled a series of concerts to return to a drug habilitation center.
How common is a heart attack in your 50s?
A 50-year-old American man has a one-in-two risk of developing heart disease during the rest of his life. That’s because cardiac risk factors are present in so many American men.
What raises your risk?
Besides smoking, high blood pressure is a primary risk factor in heart disease, and its prevalence in blacks in the United States is among the highest in the world.
3 out of 4 black adults develop high blood pressure by the time they’re 55, according to a recently published study.
Many people frequently mix illegal drug use with alcohol consumption. Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting raises your blood pressure temporarily, but repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases
And if you don’t think mental health can affect your heart health, then think again.
Depression releases stress hormones and increases inflammatory chemicals that can cause a narrowing of the arteries.
We’re talking about diabetes weight loss medications and blood pressure monitors for home use, and sharing one woman’s journey to manage her type 2 diabetes after the loss of her husband, with music from Jessye Norman.
Divabetic’sDiabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Mandy Reece PharmD CDCES, BC-ADM, BCACP, FADCES, and Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador, Sarah Bryant.
Did you know that women are at a much higher risk to have a silent heart attack and be unaware that it’s happening or confuse it with something else?
The symptoms of a heart attack can come on like a quiet storm.
Studies have shown that women who have had a heart attack often did not experience chest pain — the most telling sign of a heart problem. Instead, women have a set of symptoms that come on slowly and progress gradually, including:
Unusual fatigue Sleep disturbance Flu-like discomfort Paleness or clammy skin Inability to sleep
Men are much more likely to experience the most common symptoms suddenly and with more severity. They can have cold sweats, dizziness or a feeling that they’re going to pass out.
Most fans we’re shocked to learn that Peabo Bryson suffered a mild heart attack last year. He credits his wife’s quick thinking and fast response for his his speedy recovery. In honor of this Quiet Storm icon we’re encourage you to learn the common warning signs of heart attack.
Memorize the common heart attack warning signs like the words to your favorite love song:
Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes – or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath. This can occur with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs. Other possible signs include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
If you can spot them early, you can limit the damage from the heart attack. Keep your house a home and learn the signs for heart attack, and remember: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out.
Minutes matter. Fast action can save lives – maybe your own. Call 911 if you experience heart attack warning signs. Calling 911 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Learn more at heart.org
Join us for Quiet Storm Fans’ Peabo Bryson Listening Partywith Leon Petrossian on Saturday, July 18, 8 – 10 PM. We will sharing heart health and heart attack information between Peabo Bryson’s most beloved songs.
Divabetic was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with the diabetes and its related complications. Since its inception, Divabetic has presented outreach programs in 15 major U.S. cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of women, their families and health care professionals.
Experience more of our GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy at divabetic.org
Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Hyvelle Ferguson Davis shares her 14-year diabetes health journey which includes stroke, heart attack, surgeries and setbacks on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 6 PM, EST on blogtalkradio. TUNE IN
Hyvelle Ferguson Davis
Hyvelle was diagnosed with diabetes while pregnant with her son Ethan. The disease caught her totally off guard. “It was surreal to me,” she said. She wanted a healthy child, so diligently followed her doctor’s orders.
But not long after giving birth, she reverted to her old ways, “eating whatever I wanted to eat, thinking my meds would make up for what I ate,” she said. “I’d been checking my blood three times a day. But after having him, I didn’t. I ate anything and everything: chicken wings, red velvet cake. There was nothing I wasn’t eating.”
She kept thinking diabetes was an old person’s disease. Then, in 2014, she had a stroke. Every two minutes, an adult with diabetes in the U.S. is hospitalized for a stroke.
The American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, along with industry leaders, have proudly launched the groundbreaking collaborative initiative Know Diabetes by Heart™ to reduce cardiovascular deaths, heart attacks and strokes in people living with type 2 diabetes.
How To Minimize Your Heart Risk
Prepare for your visit.Ask questions. Write them down ahead of time if you need to.
Be honest. Have candid conversations about your daily habits and lifestyle. This will help you work with your healthcare team to implement changes that are realistic for you.
Take notes. Make note of consistent symptoms, questions about your medications, and any changes in your lifestyle. These can be helpful for your next check-up. Also, take notes during your clinic visits. This can help you remember things, particularly if there are changes in your care plan.
We’re talking about ‘ROMANCE & DIABETES’ on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from Camila Cabello on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN
After releasing three studio albums from 2015 to 2017 as part of Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello made her solo album debut in 2018, then this second album, Romance released in 2019 — and even she can feel the difference in the song-making process.
“I feel like this time around, I really got to bond with the people that I was collaborating with because I wasn’t trying to impress anyone anymore.”
Having diabetes affects much more than a person’s diet. It can impact every aspect of their life, including their sexual health.
When a person has diabetes, their body cannot use insulin properly, and this can lead to high blood sugar levels. Over time, these can lead to complications such as nerve damage and cardiovascular problems. Both have implications for sexual health in men and women.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. Every year, 1 in 4 deaths are caused by heart disease. More than one in three women is living with some form of cardiovascular disease.
Women with high blood pressure have an 83 percent higher risk of heart attack then men with hypertension.
Women smokers have a 55 percent higher risk of heart attack than male smokers.
Women with type 2 diabetes are 47 percent more likely to have heart attacks than men living with diabetes.
The good news? Heart disease can often be prevented when people make healthy choices and manage their health conditions.
Risk factors that you can manage or treat with lifestyle changes and your healthcare provider’s help include:
High blood pressure
Smoking
High blood cholesterol
Lack of regular activity
Obesity or overweight
Diabetes
Risk factors that you can’t change include:
Age
Gender
Heredity (family health history)
Race
Previous stroke or heart attack
Start by knowing your numbers. You can’t manage what you don’t measure, which is why knowing your heart health risk is critical to prevent cardiovascular disease. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn about your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose, and BMI (Body Mass Index).
Your heart depends on it. For more information about heart health go to the American Heart Association website at www.heart.org.
Alert ! Day for Type 2 Diabetes Awareness
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 is the American Diabetes Association’s “Alert ! Day” for type 2 diabetes awareness. Each year, held on the last Tuesday of March, is a one-day event that encourages everyone to take the type 2 diabetes risk test and participate in activities that will teach them about reducing their risk for diabetes.
Five factors are used to determine your risk for type 2 diabetes which include: your age, your gender, for women: whether you were ever diagnosed with gestational diabetes, whether you have a close family member with diabetes, whether you have high blood pressure, your level of physical activity, and your weight category.
Only your healthcare provider can tell you for sure if you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is more common in African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. Higher body weight increases diabetes risk for everyone.
The good news is you can manage your risk for type 2 diabetes. Small steps can make a big difference in helping you live a longer, healthier life. For more information about Alert ! Day go to: the American Diabetes Association’s website
Combining Diabetes Awareness with Heart Health Education
For one night only, on Tuesday, March 26, 2019, you can enjoy a FREE outreach event at NYC’s #1 Escape Room Experience, Clued Inn, with a heart health twist. Clued Inn’s goal is to enliven the mission of the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Alert Day with a one-day wake up call and encourage further action through an interactive, gaming experience. Clued Inn aims to change perceptions about early recognition of type 2 diabetes, inform about the link between type 2 diabetes and heart health, and promote intervention before it leads to cardiovascular disease.
In many ways, type 2 diabetes is a puzzle since the most common symptoms vary from person to person. The same skills needed to succeed at the game are also necessary for preventing cardiovascular disease for people with type 2 diabetes. The escape room experience fosters the same collaboration as diabetes management. Players explore possibilities, think of creative solutions, ask questions, listen to answers, and try new ways of doing things. No one goes it alone and there’s more than one way to find a solution. All of these behaviors can be put to good use when tackling a health issue with your healthcare provider(s). For these reasons, Clued Inn offers a fun learning experience for everyone to improve problem solving skills and learn about the connection between type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It also gives at-risk individuals and their families better knowledge of the questions and conversations to be conducted at the next appointment they have with their healthcare provider.
Can you escape before it’s too late?
Solve the special “Diabetes and Heart Health” puzzles for a chance to receive prize giveaways, diabetes and heart health resources, and meet with nationally recognized diabetes educators. Online registration is quick and easy and the entire Escape Room Experience is totally free courtesy of the Clued Inn sponsor, Boehringer Ingelheim. For further information, and to register, go to www.CluedInn.org.
Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE
Dr. Beverly S. Adler, aka “Dr. Bev”, is a clinical psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator with a private practice in Baldwin, NY. She was honored in 2016 with the “Certified Diabetes Educator Entrepreneur of the Year Award.”
She is the author/editor of two diabetes self-help books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. She has published articles in print and online about diabetes management – always with the focus on emotional adjustment. Dr. Bev has been quoted in numerous magazines and contributed to a monthly diabetes advice column online. She is a frequent contributor to the Divabetic Diabetes Daily Wire, where she blogs about diabetes topics from the psychological perspective.
Dr. Bev has lived successfully with type 1 diabetes for 42 years. You can connect with her on her website www.AskDrBev.com and on Twitter @AskDrBev.
Soap Opera legend Susan Lucci underwent emergency heart surgery in October for a major blockage in her arteries that could have ended in a fatal heart attack.
She admitted in People magazinethat she ignored the warning signs for three months.
Sometime last autumn, she had felt a tightness in her chest but “told myself, it’s nothing, it will go away. And it did.” Roughly 10 days later, the pain returned, “radiating around my rib cage. I thought maybe I had fastened my bra too tightly.”
Then on October 23, while at the Tory Burch boutique at the Americana Manhasset shopping center, the pain came back, intensified. “It felt like an elephant pressing down on my chest,” she told the magazine, adding that the store manager offered to drive her to Roslyn’s St. Francis Hospital, which specializes in cardiology.
The tests revealed that the actress had 90 percent blockage in the heart’s main artery, which doctors call “the widow maker,” and 70 percent blockage in another branch.
“Ninety percent blockage – I was shocked,” Lucci said.
The 72-year-old actress had to undergo surgery, during which her doctor inserted two stents into her arteries to help increase blood flow back to her heart.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women today, killing approximately 400,000 women a year, according to the latest statistics from the American Heart Association.
Susan Lucci who has devoted decades to a daily Pilates workout and a heart healthy Mediterranean diet, was unaware that her father’s heart disease meant she was also at risk. Her father, Victor Lucci, had suffered a heart attack in his late forties. “I always thought I had my mother’s genes,” says Lucci of her mother, Jeanette, now 101 years old.
Diabetes is a powerful risk factor for heart disease in women as reported on the American Diabetes Association’s website. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women with diabetes. Women with diabetes are 2 times as likely to have a second heart attack and 4 times more likely to have heart failure than women without diabetes.
Many women with type 2 diabetes already have heart disease when they are diagnosed or have many of the risk factors such as high lipids levels, high blood pressure, abdominal obesity, and abnormalities in blood vessel function.
Clued Inn is a TOTALLY free and TOTALLY unique way to learn about Diabetes & Heart Disease on National Diabetes Alert Day on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Our goal is for participants to have a fun, gaming adventure as we take the mystery out of the link between diabetes and heart health and encourage people to discover their risk for diabetes. Space Limited. BOOK NOW
