The health of young African American men.

Deaths in Ferguson,Missouri;New York City; Sanford, Florida; and other areas have focused international attention on young African American men. In a recent campaign, young African American men draw attention to key overlooked facts that describe their demographic: 1 of 3 goes to college, 3 of 4 are drug free, 5 of 9 have jobs, 7 of 8 are not teenaged fathers, and 11 of 12 finish high school.1 How can clinicians help address existing health disparities and add to these positive outcomes? Young African American men experience little benefit from the considerable health care spending in the United States. Their situation reflects a poor investment and calls attention to a blind spot in policy. African American men have a life expectancy 4.7 years less than their white counterparts, the lowest of any major demographic group in the United States. Heart disease and cancer each contribute roughly a year of reduced comparative life expectancy for African American men.2 Another year of reduced life expectancy is related to homicide: 75 of 100 000