Why is men’s health important?

When it comes to prevention and early detection, men's health often takes a back seat to women's health. Research, however, shows that, compared to women, men are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol and generally lead less healthy lifestyles. In addition, men are more likely to put off routine check ups and also delay seeing a healthcare provider for symptoms of a health problem. Compared to working-aged women, working-aged men are less likely to have a regular doctor and health insurance. In order to start taking better care of their health, it is important for men to understand their risk factors and how they can improve their overall health.

INFANCY

At the precise moment when a single sperm wiggles its way into an awaiting egg, the sex of the developing baby is defined. If that sperm carries a portly X chromosome, the egg turned embryo will give rise to a baby girl. If that sperm carries a diminutive Y chromosome, the baby will be a boy. With the blueprint for the male architecture, however, come several, often unfortunate genetic predispositions: Hemophilia and Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy afflict boys and men almost exclusively, while boys are more likely than girls to suffer from Fragile-X Syndrome, the nation's leading cause of mental retardation.

ADOLESCENCE

Testosterone's effects on boys' development become most obvious during adolescence. Muscles begin replacing baby fat. Externally, you may notice body beginning to grow, but just before that happens, they may put on a little weight . Next comes a growth spurt in height, often around the age of 13.Personal hygiene is probably one of the biggest changes for young boys. They have to wash hands or take a shower, but now they will need to pay attention to these things as they start to sweat more and develop body odour.  Voice will change around the time that their growth spurt has begun to slow down a bit. This occurs because the vocal chords and voice box (larynx) gain mass too.

YOUNG ADULT

Men are physically in their prime. This period is characterized by a drive for achievement and by the realization that the foolhardiness of youth has unavoidable consequences. Fatherhood gives men the opportunity to redefine masculinity in a healthful way for themselves and their children. Bad habits, like smoking, become less appealing but more difficult to shake; more than 80 percent of adults who ever smoked began doing so before age 18. Still, men are smoking less than they did and the incidence of lung cancer in men is falling. HIV deaths among men are more between age group of 25 to 44.

MIDDLE AGE

Beginning in their early 40's, men experience a decline in testosterone of 1 percent each year. These reductions coincide with increased depressive symptoms, including anxiety. The risk of heart disease, hypertension and diabetes is exacerbated by obesity, and middle age is when men are likely to be overweight. They lose 3 percent to 5 percent of their muscle mass for every decade after age 25. Reduced muscle mass and physical activity conspire to decrease men's resting metabolic rate. As men age, then, they burn less energy while resting and can gain weight even without changing their eating habits. And they do gain -- 2 to 3 pounds for every year over age 30.

OLD AGE

Because men continue to produce testosterone throughout life, they are protected from -- though not immune to -- conditions like Alzheimer's Disease and osteoporosis. Their larger bone size also helps protect against this bone-weakening illness. Men can further maintain their mental acuity by engaging in intellectual activities. They can strengthen their bones and stem bone loss by undertaking weight-bearing exercise. The continued production of testosterone, however, can also adversely affect men. Testosterone aggravates hair loss and stimulates growth of the prostate gland.