6.15.04
Men's Health

Men die on average five or six years earlier than women - in part because men don't get physical check ups and screenings on a regular basis.

Men are at risk for premature death at younger ages compared to women. That's because men have earlier and more severe coronary artery disease and they have some different types of cancers, says Dr. Robert Bussing, chief of general internal medicine at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield. He says some of these diseases could be prevented or managed if men didn't put off seeing a doctor.

SOUND BITE: " . . .men have sort of a fear factor of the doctor. They don't like going because they are afraid of what they might hear or what procedure they might have to undergo. A lot of guys feel like they are too busy to go to the doctor. They've been working hard, they have busy schedules, they don't like going. A lot of guys have this image of themselves as being a tough guy and they should be able to tough out whatever problem they have, so they procrastinate and they don't go."

Bussing says men can do several things to take good care of themselves. He says they should know their readings for blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. He advises men to stop smoking, get adequate exercise and manage their weight. He suggests that men learn their Body Mass Index or BMI reading because as the BMI goes up, so does the risk for health problems.

SOUND BITE: ". . . diabetes has a five-fold increase risk once the BMI gets above 28. The normal BMI is up to 25. 25 to 30 is defined as being overweight. . . . Over 30 is defined as being obese. Once the BMI gets in the 28 category, there's about a five times increase risk for diabetes. Once the BMI gets over 35, the incidence for diabetes goes up by 4,200 percent. Coronary heart disease goes up 3 and one-half percent once the BMI is above 33."

Dr. Bussing stresses the importance of men seeing their primary care physician for regular check ups and screenings to manage any risk factors they may have.