“There is a silent health crisis in America… It’s a fact that, on average, American men live sicker and die younger than American women,” Dr. David Gremillion, Men’s Health Network (MHN).
Many men choose to stay in the dark about their health out of fear of diagnosis, emotional discomfort being vulnerable, or invincibility complexes. In the second edition of The Blueprint for Men’s Health, a book written and distributed by the Men’s Health Network, we’re told that men are more likely to engage in unhealthy behavior and less likely to adopt preventative health measures, and that because of this, women live on average 5 years longer than men.
More than 50 percent of premature deaths among men are preventable – but you can’t prevent problems that you don’t know exist. Many of the health risks that men face today are highly preventable if detected early.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading causes of death for men in the US are heart disease and cancer:
- Diabetes is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke and can be controlled, or even prevented, by developing healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise, maintaining a balanced diet, limiting alcohol consumption, and controlling blood pressure.
- Cancer is the second leading cause of death among men and can also be prevented in many cases. The two keys to beating cancer are reducing risk and early detection. Reducing your risk of cancer can be achieved similarly to preventing diabetes, with the addition of not smoking. There are circumstances where cancer is genetic and can run in the family, in which case early detection is key.
Two other very important tests for men are colonoscopy and prostate exams, which are recommended starting at the age of 45. According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 23 men will be diagnosed with colon cancer in his lifetime, and even more staggering, 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. These are two of the most prevalent cancer deaths among men, but both can also be highly curable when detected early, which reinforces the importance of preventative screenings and tests along with the annual physical.
BioIQ is also here to help make early detection more simple and convenient for men with our at-home Heart Health Panel and Wellness Panel, as well as our stand-alone Colorectal (FIT) test among many others.
Our holistic health management solution is here to help your organization discover and manage conditions, while encouraging the men in your population to take ownership of their health. These turn-key health screenings allow male participants to easily take control of their well-being and stay ahead of any health challenges.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help prevent heart disease and cancer in your male population.