When it comes to men’s health, many concerns can be addressed with preventive healthcare, including routine screenings and annual wellness checks. Build a healthier future by understanding your risk for the most common men’s health concerns, as well as when to seek testing.
Heart Disease
The numbers don’t lie: heart disease is the leading cause of death for men in the United States. Knowing your risk for heart disease is the beginning of heart health preventive care. Several medical conditions and lifestyle factors contribute to a higher risk for heart disease. These include:
- Diabetes
- Obesity and being overweight
- Unhealthy diet (a diet high in salt, saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol)
- Physical inactivity
- Excessive alcohol use
- Smoking
Sometimes symptoms of heart disease may not be noticeable until it’s too late—heart attack, irregular heartbeat or heart failure may be the first noticeable signs of heart disease. Also, high blood pressure—which is said to affect nearly 50% of men—is a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke. These highlight the importance of routine screening and your annual health check.
Maintaining a healthy weight, choosing healthier foods, monitoring your blood pressure, quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, and lowering your stress levels are strong choices to help you avoid heart disease.
Diabetes
Prediabetes is when blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. It is estimated that nearly 52.3 million US adult men have prediabetes, and, without taking action, many men with prediabetes go on to develop Type 2 diabetes and other chronic conditions or diseases. This includes non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) as well as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and even colorectal cancer (CRC). The risk for heart disease is higher for those who have diabetes. It is important to speak with your healthcare provider if you think you may be at risk for diabetes.
With Type 2 diabetes, your body cannot properly use insulin, a hormone necessary for removing excess sugar (glucose) from your blood. You can be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at any age, but you are at higher risk if you:
- Are 45 years or older
- Are overweight
- Have a family history of diabetes
- Are not physically active
- Are a woman who had or has gestational diabetes
Steps taken to help prevent heart disease also can help you from developing prediabetes or other health conditions.