Men, know your triggers!

In most cultures, being a man opens the door to many benefits. However, beyond the gains, there are many health issues that should be of concern to men, because they stand higher risks of developing them.

What are such health concerns? These ones…

Heart diseases

Cardiologists note that men experience common heart diseases earlier than women do. They say that higher levels of estrogen in women protect them from heart disease for 10-15 years longer than men.

A consultant cardiologist, Dr. Peter Olumide, says men experience an exponential rise in the risk of heart disease, beginning in their 40s.

Olumide says that, in contrast, women’s risk of dying from heart disease does not begin to increase until after menopause, and that it approaches the male risk only in extreme old age.

Indeed, physicians say women are likely to have heart attack and stroke usually when they hit 70s and 80s — about 10 years later than men, who develop them in their 50s and 60s.

Chronic stress

Chronic stress in men may also contribute to heart disease, as it indirectly elevates blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin — all of which contribute to the hardening of the arteries.

The cardiologist counsels men to start monitoring their blood pressure and cholesterol when they’re in their 20s.

“This would make them to act decisively once they suspect that something is abnormal,” the physician says.

Weak immune system

Researchers at Imperial College School of Medicine in London say women are probably born with a more powerful immune system that protects them against diseases well into old age.

According to the scientists, women produce more white blood cells than men of the same age. White blood cells help in fighting infection.

The research was published in the New Scientist.

Susceptibility to diseases

Again, scientists say that even in the first year of life, male children have a higher mortality rate, which persists throughout life. They express concern that men are also more likely than women to die from injuries, suicide, respiratory cancer, cirrhosis of the liver and coronary heart disease.

Hormone surge

Professor of Medicine at Newcastle University and an expert on ageing, Tom Kirkwood, in a study published in Scientific American notes that high levels of the sex hormone, testosterone, which boosts male fertility, are quite bad for long-term survival.

Experts say that between ages 15 and 24, the male-to-female mortality ratio peaks because of a sudden surge in male deaths with the onset of puberty.

They warn that during this period, men are three times more likely to die than women, while most of the male fatalities are caused by reckless behaviour or violence.

“High testosterone levels are associated with risk-taking and aggression in younger males and with heart disease and prostate cancer in later life,” the scientists warn.

Body size

Anti-ageing physician, Dr. Vincent Giampapa, warns that, on the average, people over six feet tall don’t live as long as people shorter than six feet. He says studies of a genetic mutation referred to as the Methuselah Gene (named after the biblical Methuselah who lived for 969 years) support this theory. A study published in Medical Hypothesis supports this, saying that larger individuals within a species tend to have shorter lives.

Emotional issues

As for those who think it’s women who feel worse at the end of a romantic relationship, experts say men suffer more emotional troubles than women because, instead of letting go, they allow the stress of a break-up to weigh them down, leading to more psychological trauma that may predispose them to suicide.

In fact, a 2010 Centres for Disease Control and Prevention study notes that men had a suicide rate of 19.9 per cent, compared to women’s rate of 5.2 per cent.

Unhealthy habits

Apart from the fact that men are likely to eat foods that are high in cholesterol than women, researchers also say men smoke and drink more than women do.

The World Health Organisation states that men smoke nearly five times as much as women; while it is estimated that about 17 per cent of men, compared to about eight per cent of women, will meet the criteria for alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.

A multinational study suggests that men don’t just exceed women in drinking, they actually top the chart in high-volume drinking.

The bottom line: Being a man does not mean a death sentence. Rather, now that you know what could kill you, take decisive and positive steps to save yourself by avoiding them.

Imbibe good dietary habits, reduce risky behaviours and be gentle with yourself.
PUNCH.