If you are a man and are avoiding a visit to your primary care physician you are not alone. Studies show that men schedule half as many preventative health visits as women, and often don’t go to the doctor unless their symptoms become unbearable or they get pressure from someone close to them to make an appointment. The main goal of National Men’s Health Month, which took place in June, was to change this pattern and highlight the importance of doctor visits for men.
No matter how good we look on the outside the inside is what really counts. A man may work out everyday and has an excellent BMI may still not be the picture of health. Healthy organs and bodily functions are crucial to keep on top of, especially as men age. Below are some interesting statistics to keep in mind as a man:
- Heart disease is second only to all cancers combined in years of potential life lost for men.
- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men; the main form, coronary heart disease, caused 380,000 deaths in 2010.
- Men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death and are the victims of over 92% of workplace deaths.
- In 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now, men, on average, die almost six years earlier than women.
- Depression in men is undiagnosed contributing to the fact that men are 4 x as likely to commit suicide.
Several factors work against men’s health- they tend to drink and smoke more than women, avoid medical help and tend to define their lives by their work. Most importantly several health risks of the male population – like colon cancer or heart disease- can be prevented and effectively treated with early diagnosis. In conclusion every man should sit back and consider an annual check-up as part of his yearly plan.
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