Men's Health Monday - Part II, Some Shocking Statistics!

Thank you again to our guest writer this week -  DR. A. PHILIP  BADEWA for this well researched article on men's health. I will lay some of his writing out this week in bullet points and some in Q and A format as before. Check back on Mondays throughout June for more on Men's health from his article. 

How about some shocking statistics regarding Men's health?


. 48% of Men do not engage in physical activity at all. Sounds like you? Get moving.... 


. 33% are therefore obese.


. 32% have had five or more alcoholic drinks in one day at least once in the past year - or in plain language,  32% just drink too much.


. 31% have hypertension or high blood pressure. 


. 22% smoke.


. Nearly 1 in 3 men reports that they have no primary care physicians compared with 1 in 5 for women. (Are you one of those without a primary care provider?).


. 20% of men younger than 65 years do not have health insurance. 


. and 12% rate their overall health as fair or poor ( CDC, 2011)


So, Yes, why again do I need to have that annual physical examination?

All the above are enough reasons to get checked out and the real goals of adult well male physical examination are to provide guidance toward the promotion of health and well being, to prevent premature sicknesses and death from chronic diseases, and to provide age-appropriate screenings and immunizations.

 How often should I see the doctor if I'm well and have no symptoms?

Currently, there is no consensus regarding the optimal frequency of adult well male physical examination however, it is my suggestion that at least one visit  annually for thorough screening must be done by all men between the age of 15 and 65 years.


 In middle-aged men, there is need for quarterly visit (every 3 months) for health maintenance.


What will I be screened for at my annual physical exam? 


In addition to all the routine examinations already discussed in the open letter to our men last week, we screen for the following:

Skin cancers even in black people and you can do a lot by just paying attention to the moles on your body. Take a good look at each one and keep an eye out for any strange changes. Take pictures if you want, so you'll be able to show a doctor if things change. If you see any of the signs of skin cancer, make an appointment right away. Use a high SPF sun screen when you vacation on the beach. If you have had excessive sun exposure, you may want to talk to a dermatologist to establish a baseline, but current recommendations do not see a benefit from annual full-body screenings for normal risk people.

How often should I get a colonoscopy done?

The general recommendation for colonoscopy screening  is every 10 years from the age of 50 years to at least 75 years, with annual fecal occult blood test (FOBT) - you submit a stool sample and we check it for blood.

Screening for ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYM

Men between the ages of 65 and 75 who have smoked 100 cigarettes in their lifetime (be honest here) need to be screened one time for an abdominal aortic aneurysm (basically, a blood vessel in your gut that is swollen).  80% for men who reach hospital and 50% for men who undergo emergent surgical repair will die from this condition. Apart from smoking, other risk factors include hypertension, family history, and atherosclerosis. Smoking accounts for 75 percent of all aneurysms at least 4.0 cm in diameter.

 Screening for Osteoporosis: The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends bone density testing in all men 70 years or older or in men 50 to 69 years of age who have additional risk factors. 

IMMUNIZATION: Annual influenza vaccination is strongly encouraged for all adults. For men younger than 65 years, tetanus toxoid (Tdap) is recommended for adults over 65 years and older who will be in contact with children younger than one year.

 Pneumococcal vaccine is also recommended to all adults older than 65 years, but may be administered earlier if there is evidence of immune suppression or chronic illnesses like Diabetes, Sickle cell disease or cardiopulmonary disease. Ask your dr if you need any of the above. 

From the blog editor:  A round of blog applause again to Dr Badewa for your helpful insights. We appreciate your efforts again.  Please leave your comments for Dr Badewa on the blog below. Click on the green "comments" below. You do not need to register on google to comment, you can select anonymous to comment, but put your name at the end of your statement. the last part of this series will appear this thursday to allow for men to read it before the meeting and come with questions for the doctors.

 Funke Abolade, M.D.

 Social/publicity Secretary