Cancer, heart disease, suicide driving shorter life expectancy among men – Dr Carpen

Cardiologist Dr Mahendra Carpen has warned that men across the Caribbean, including Guyana, are facing significantly shorter life expectancy due to high rates of cardiovascular disease, cancer, accidents, and suicide, conditions exacerbated by cultural norms that discourage preventive healthcare and open conversations about wellbeing.
Delivering remarks on Wednesday at the Men’s Wellness Symposium at Herdmanston Lodge in observance of International Men’s Day, Dr Carpen said the Government wants to build “stronger men, stronger families, and a stronger Guyana” but emphasised that urgent attention is needed to address the systemic issues affecting men’s health.
Dr Carpen highlighted that men in the Caribbean live three to four years less than women despite sharing the same environment, food, and social circumstances. He explained that men are more than twice as likely as women to die prematurely – before their expected lifespan – with cardiovascular disease, liver disease, lung cancer, accidents, and higher suicide rates being the most significant contributors. Many of these risks, he added, are linked to male-dominated high-risk occupations, heavy weekend drinking, and hazardous behaviours.
“Men are more than twice as likely than women to have premature death, meaning dying before that expected lifetime. And the main culprits for this, cardiovascular disease, liver disease, lung cancer, and most of the accidents and all the types of accidents in this part of the world.”
“Culturally in the Caribbean, we don’t really go to the doctor until we’re sick. Isn’t that true? The places in the world that have the best health outcomes are those places that follow their people or their citizens from birth to death, from the cradle to the grave. So, they get their vaccinations on time, they get their health screening on time, and they have planning. So, those people live longer, and they have better quality of life,” the cardiologist said.
Dr Carpen pointed out that stigma also plays a major role in discouraging men from seeking help. Casual teasing or trivial comments among friends can cause men to withdraw from health-seeking behaviours or discussions about how they feel. This is especially concerning, he said, because social connection is vital for men’s mental and emotional health. Studies consistently show that strong male friendships reduce stress, improve wellbeing, and strengthen mental resilience, yet men often avoid discussing personal struggles due to embarrassment or fear of judgement.
He also acknowledged that the healthcare system itself sometimes overlooks important aspects of men’s lives. Doctors may focus solely on the presenting symptom while missing deeper issues involving mental health, sexual health, family dynamics, or lifestyle factors that significantly affect overall wellness.
With this in mind, he urged a more comprehensive approach to evaluating men’s health, covering physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and incorporating broader models like the wellness wheel, which includes spiritual, environmental, occupational, and financial stability.
“These are important things for us to evaluate when we see men, when we’re talking to men, when we’re counselling men, and when we’re trying to figure out what’s happening. Physical health in our part of the world and most parts of the world, again, the number one cause of death and disability, cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular health has everything to do with every place that has blood supply that can have some kind of disease process from the brain to the toe. You can have strokes in the heart; you have blockage, heart failure, erectile dysfunction, peripheral vascular disease, all kinds of stuff,” Dr Carpen said.
He acknowledged that changing lifestyles have worsened dietary patterns. With increasingly fast-paced schedules, many people skip home-cooked meals and rely on quick, processed options. He encouraged men to follow a simple balanced plate model – half vegetables and salad, with the remaining half split equally between protein and starch – as a guide to healthier eating.