Men’s Health Week: The Facts

This week is Men’s Health Week and to put into perspective, men have a shorter life expectancy than women - 78 years for men and 82.3years for women. Some of the reasons for that is that men take their own lives four times more than women (on average 5 men will commit suicide every day), accident, cancer and heart disease are also significant factors in men’s life.

Here are a few facts that impact men’s health every year:

• 30% of a man’s overall health is determined by genetics, and 70% is controllable by lifestyle choices.
• Physical activity may lower the risk of heart attack by 25%.
• Sleeping 7-8 hours a night lessens the risk of fatal heart attack by 60% compared to someone who sleeps 5 hours or less.
• Inactive men are 60% more likely to suffer from depression than active ones.
• Type 2 diabetes is more likely in men that consume more than 10 drinks a week.
• The last 11 years of a man’s life will be in poor health.
• The 3 most common reasons for men’s reduced lifespan are cardiovascular disease, suicide and motor vehicle accident.

Prevention

Having regular check up’s is necessary to prevent some of the injuries, illness and diseases that can develop with age. Here’s a guide according to your age group for health screenings:

In your 20’s:

• You should get an annual physical exam that includes blood pressure, height and weight.
• Once a year, have a vision and dental check-up.
• Every two years screen for STD and HIV.
• Every year test for testicular cancer and monthly self-exams.
• Every five years check your cholesterol levels.

In your 30s:

• All the above.
• Plus once a year screen for coronary heart disease.
• And blood test for diabetes, thyroid disease, liver problems and anaemia.

In your 40s:

• All the above.
• Plus every five years a cardiovascular evaluation.
• Every year screen for prostate cancer.

In your 50s:

• All the above plus annual screening for type 2 diabetes.
• Every year vision and hearing exams.
• Every year depression screening.
• Annual lipid disorder screening.
• And annually screening for colon cancer, sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy.

In your 60s:

• All the above.
• Plus annual screening for osteoporosis.
• Screening for dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Final Notes

Improving men’s health is essential to our communities, and it involves not only men but also women, family and health services. It's important to create a supportive environment so men can improve their health and also have a place where they feel safe to reach out for help.

Always remember if you don’t feel well or have a problem that won’t go away, seek medical advice. It’s OK to ask for help.

Talk to medical professionals, family members, friends or workmates, and remember Fear is not the killer, don’t leave it too late to seek help.

Links

https://www.livin.org/

https://www.amhf.org.au/men_s_health_week_australia

http://www.menshealthaustralia.net

https://mensshed.org

http://malesuicidepreventionaustralia.com.au

https://mensline.org.au