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Health Tips for Men
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Posted: Sept. 1, 2008
When it comes to good health, several factors work against men. Men tend to smoke and drink more than women, they don't seek medical help as often as women, and some men define themselves by their work, which can add to stress.
The most important things you can do to stay healthy are:
- Get recommended screening tests
- Be tobacco-free
- Be physically active
- Eat a healthy diet
- Stay at a healthy weight
- Take preventive medicines if you need them
Screening tests for men: What you need and when
Screening tests can find diseases early when they are easier to treat. Health experts from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force have made recommendations, based on scientific evidence, about testing for the conditions below. Talk to your doctor about which ones apply to you and when and how often you should be tested.
- Obesity: Have your body mass index (BMI) calculated to screen for obesity. (BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.)
- High cholesterol: Have your cholesterol checked regularly starting at age 35. If you are younger than 35, talk to your doctor about whether to have your cholesterol checked if:
- You have diabetes
- You have high blood pressure
- Heart disease runs in your family
- You smoke
- High blood pressure: Have your blood pressure checked at least every 2 years. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher.
- Colorectal cancer: Have a test for colorectal cancer starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which test is right for you. If you have a family history of colorectal cancer, you may need to be screened earlier.
- Diabetes: Have a test for diabetes if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
- Depression: Your emotional health is as important as your physical health. If you have felt "down," sad, or hopeless over the last 2 weeks or have felt little interest or pleasure in doing things, you may be depressed. Talk to your doctor about being screened for depression.
- HIV: Talk to your doctor to see if you should have HIV screening
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm. If you are between the ages of 65 and 75 and have ever smoked (100 or more cigarettes during your lifetime), you need to be screened once for abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is an abnormally large or swollen blood vessel in your abdomen.
Daily steps to health:
Don't smoke. Smoking causes cancer, emphysema and heart disease.
Be physically active. Walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming, and bicycling are just a few examples of moderate physical activity. If you are not already physically active, start small and work up to 30 minutes or more of moderate physical activity most days of the week.
Eat a healthy diet. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and eat foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
Stay at a healthy weight. Balance calories from foods and beverages with calories you burn off by your activities. To prevent gradual weight gain over time, make small decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity.
Drink alcohol only in moderation. If you drink alcohol, have no more than two drinks a day. (A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)
- Immunizations: Stay up-to-date with your immunizations:
- Have a flu shot every year starting at age 50. If you are younger than 50, ask your doctor whether you need a flu shot.
- Have a pneumonia shot once after you turn 65. If you are younger, ask your doctor whether you need a pneumonia shot.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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