Are you a father? Even if you aren’t I’m sure you know one: your own, a friend,or a brother. Men can be great at taking care of their yards, their homes, and their cars as well as providing for their wives and children, but they are not so great at taking care of themselves. Studies have shown that men are more likely to ignore symptoms of disease, skip annual physicals and be generally unaware of their health status. So many diseases that cause death and disability in men are preventable, but you can’t treat what you don’t know. June is Men’s Health Month with a focus on the week ending with Father’s Day to remind men that they need to take care of their health because their families and loved ones need them to stick around.
The Men’s Health Network dishes up some sobering statistics that should make you pay attention or try to motivate the men in your life to get some basic tests done. For example, “women are 100% more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services than men”, “men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death and are the victims of over 92% of workplace deaths” and “by the age of 100, women outnumber men 8 to 1”.
- PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) Test: While this test is controversial, some believing that it leads to unnecessary treatment, having an initial test can set a baseline against which future levels can be measured. Treatment decisions can get complicated with new therapies and guidelines changing daily. It’s important to know where you stand.
- Lipid or Heart Health Panel: Heart attack and stroke is still the highest cause of death for both men and women in the United States.
- C-Reactive Protein Test: This can identify inflammation that may be caused by cardiovascular disease and can be a valuable assessment of your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
- Basic Check-up Panel: This test is a good measure of your overall health.
- Blood pressure check: While Americans are working to lower their blood pressure levels, diet and high salt intake are still keeping these number too high.
- Simple cancer checks such as a melanoma screening and a Cancer Screen and Tumor Marker Panel: Early identification of cancer can add years to your life and provide for early treatment options.
So, will you be around for next year’s Father’s Day and the one after that and the one after that…Get tested and monitor your health so you can be here for the celebrations to come! I hope my Dad is reading this! Send it to your father or the important man in your life and help them get healthy.
Written by: www.labtestingnow.com
Image credit: Happy Family by Vera Kratochvil, publicdomainpictures.net