Like women, the major men’s health concern is heart disease. It is the leading cause of death among both men and women. The most unfortunate aspect of this statistic is that it is rising in certain segments of the population. For example heart disease among African American males between the ages of 35 and 44 is more than twice that of Caucasian males. The risk factors for heart disease include many of the things that are on the rise in American society.
These risk factors are found at a higher rate in American society than in other parts of the world, but the men’s health concern for heart disease is also growing world wide. It’s important to continue to educate people to make healthier lifestyle choices
First, if you smoke stop; even if you use smokeless tobacco products you are putting yourself into a higher risk category for heart disease. There are dozens of harmful substances in tobacco and tobacco smoke, and contrary to popular belief, nicotine may not be the most dangerous one for your health.
Second, choose a healthy diet, high in fruits, vegetables, high fiber carbohydrates and low-fat foods. Drink plenty of water, at least half your body weight in ounces each day. These foods should be concentrated early in the day, rather than just before sleeping. This type of sensible eating will not only strengthen your heart, it will help you to lose and maintain your ideal weight.
Third, exercise. You should plan on 30 minute of exercise 4-5 times per week. This can be something as simple as walking at a pace fast enough to increase your heart rate. You may also enjoy swimming, aerobics, or handball. Weight-lifting or body building generally does not apply, since it doesn’t qualify as aerobic.
The second highest men’s health concern is cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type of skin cancer among both men and women, but lung cancer is the one which kills the most people. The major risk factor is smoking. If you smoke quit. If you are subject to second-hand smoke, you need to take whatever steps are needed to reduce or eliminate that danger. Radon in the home or work place has also been shown to be a contributory factor in lung cancer. Even with early detection of lung cancer, survival rates are less than 50%.
Other men’s health concern issues related to cancer include colon cancer and testicular cancer.