Men’s Health Month: Top Prevention Steps for the Most Prevalent Diseases Among Men
While many of these steps are just as important for women to follow, they’re some of the most crucial factors for preventing the most prevalent diseases among men. And although some of these diseases will naturally occur due to genetic predisposition and biological makeup, many risk factors are controllable and can make the difference in a life cut short or a long life lived happily and healthfully.
Whether you’re a care provider who needs a gentle reminder for your own health, or you have a stubborn loved one who wants to receive health advice from someone other than you (we’ve been there, it’s tough), we hope these steps can lead you in the right direction toward a healthier life.
(As always, please consult with a physician before making any changes in your routine or habits, especially if you have a pre-existing condition.)
Stop Smoking
In the past decade, government and media efforts have made tremendous strides in cutting down the percentage of the U.S. population who smokes from nearly 22.8% in 2001 to 17.8% in 2013, which is a huge move of the needle. (Source: CDC)
However, many of the men who are now in older generations are suffering the consequences of decades spent smoking including heart disease, COPD and various forms of cancer, all of which are top deadly diseases for men.
The good news is, it’s never too late to quit. Even if you or your loved one propecia online pharmacy is experiencing health complications due to smoking, quitting can slow the progression, symptoms and diminish further risk of diseases developed by smoking.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
You might be tired of hearing it, or saying it, but the sentiment is true, maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most crucial things you can do to minimize your risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer, all of which affect more men than women.
And just like smoking, it is never too late to start working toward a more healthy weight since losing excess weight in a healthy manner (proper diet and exercise) can help to ease the effects of disease and prevent further complications.
Additionally, many of the most prevalent deadly diseases for men are triggered by other condition in a domino effect. By maintaining a healthy weight, you can be working to minimize one of the most common denominator risk factors for all of the diseases mentioned above.
Get Your Flu Shot
Although a healthy lifestyle plays a primary role in the strength of your immune system, men naturally have weaker immune systems, which leaves them more susceptible to getting the flu and subsequently contracting pneumonia, which is one of the other major causes of death in men.
According to research from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which identified a set of genes that are regulated by testosterone and may be the cause of men’s weaker immune systems, there is a link between testosterone levels and the men’s immune response to the flu vaccine, which showed that men with higher levels of testosterone had weaker immune responses to the influenza vaccine.
This may seem like a reason to skip out on the vaccine if you’re reasoning that it won’t help keep the flu at bay, however, it’s an added layer of defense that can’t hurt, especially since men’s immune systems are naturally more susceptible to viruses.
Be Screening Savvy
According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men with about 1 in 7 being diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. Their estimates for the U.S in 2015 are about 220,800 new cases and 27,540 deaths from prostate cancer.
There are a number of factors that can put you at risk for prostate cancer, including some of the factors we’ve listed above, but aging, race and genetics are the most common, which are unfortunately out of our control.
However, since prostate cancer typically does not cause any symptoms and is most commonly found through routine rectal examinations and a prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test, screening is the best way to detect cancer early on and have the best chances for success with treatment.
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of preventable steps, but these are arguably some of the most impactful actions for preventing prevalent male diseases and health conditions.
You can also find a helpful Men’s Health Checklist from the Men’s Health Network here. (https://com-shcc.sites.medinfo.ufl.edu/files/2014/06/MensHealthMonth_GetItChecked_crop.pdf)
Healthcare providers, what are some other steps you would suggest? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/tables/trends/cig_smoking/
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/adult_data/cig_smoking/
U.S. News & World Report
American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer/detailedguide/prostate-cancer-key-statistics
