Health & Fitness
Kaiser Permanente offers preventive measures for men's health
June is Men's Health Month and Kaiser Permanente says it's a good time to make sure men are taking care of their own health
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Family Medicine Physician Alec Uy, MD, says he remembers having a patient with high blood pressure who was reluctant to take medication, change his lifestyle or discuss possible strategies to lower it.
Several years later, Uy said he got a call from the Emergency Department informing him the patient had a massive heart attack.
“Men often have this false feeling they are invincible,” Uy said. “They only visit me, their primary care physician, when something’s broken and needs repair. It’s frustrating because my job is to keep people out of the emergency department and the hospital.”
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June is Men’s Health Month and a good time to remind men about the importance of preventive care. Men have shorter life expectancies than women, dying an average of 5 years earlier. They are also twice as likely to put off doctor’s visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The COVID-19 pandemic has only made things worse, with both men and women delaying routine preventive screenings.
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Uy advises there are some key steps men can (and should) take to stay healthy including:
- Know your numbers: obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure are all dangerous. Get screened regularly for cholesterol, blood sugar, and weight.
- Keep up with cancer screenings: men have higher rates of getting cancer, and dying from it, than women. Regular screening can help identify cancer in the early stages, before symptoms emerge and when the odds of survival are best. Screening for colorectal cancer should start at age 45 and prostate cancer screening should start at age 50, or earlier if you’re a Black male or if you have a family history of cancer.
- Seek help when you’re struggling. Men tend to suffer in silence. Get help if you’re suffering from anxiety, depression, or alcohol and drugs.
- Take care of your health---for yourself and those you love: a serious health condition not only affects you, but it also affects your family, your relatives, and your friends.
