Health Maintenance for Men

“Preventive care and health maintenance are key for men to enjoy a quality life,” according to Steven K. Rothschild, MD, director of the Section of Community and Social Medicine at Rush University Medical Center.

He suggests that men maintain their health by addressing physical, mental and emotional well-being. Exercise, diet and coping with stress are a good place to start.

“You should get about 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week,” says Rothschild. “This is easy to achieve with 30 minutes of physical activity five days out of each week.”

Next is maintaining a good diet. You’ll want to make sure your diet is low in fats (especially saturated fats) and high in fiber, and that it includes adequate amounts of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. It’s been recommended by the National Cancer Institute that men get about nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. That’s about three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit, according to the USDA’s food pyramid.

Men will also want some method of coping with stress. Daily meditation or just quiet time to your self can really make a difference. Exercise can also reduce the physical effects of stress.

Regular medical exams and screenings can also be considered as part of a man’s preventive care and health maintenance. Some of the screenings and their frequencies depend on your age.

For healthy men 20 to 40 years old:

• Cholesterol and other lipids checked every 5 years
• Blood pressure checked every 5 years
• Physical exam for testicular cancer (a relatively rare disease, but tends to affect men under 40 more)
• Get tetanus booster every 10 years
• If sexually active outside of a strictly monogamous relationship, get hepatitis B vaccine

Men in their 20s should also take action to protect their long-term health. “Even though men between the ages of 20 and 30 are generally at lower risk of immediate health problems, health habits are beginning to be established, and stress from work can start to affect their physical and psychological health,” notes Rothschild.

For healthy men 40 to 60 years old:

• Cholesterol and other lipids checked every one to two years
• Blood pressure checked every one to two years
• Blood sugar (glucose) checked every one to two years (can indicate risk for diabetes)
• Prostate cancer screening
  • Starting at age 40 for African Americans
  • Starting at age 50 for other men
• Colon cancer screening, preferably with a colonoscopy every 10 years
• Get tetanus booster every 10 years
• Get hepatitis B vaccine, if sexually active outside of a strictly monogamous relationship

“The body is surprisingly forgiving even at this point in a man’s life, the years between 40 and 60,” Rothschild says. Therefore, he adds, “the goal of wellness has to be beyond just life expectancy. We should be considering the quality of life for the future.”

For healthy men over 60:

• Cholesterol and other lipids checked every year, more frequently if being treated for high cholesterol
• Blood pressure checked every year, more frequently if being treated for high blood pressure
• Blood sugar (glucose) checked every year, more frequently if being treated for diabetes
• Prostate cancer screening
• Colon cancer screening, preferably with a colonoscopy
• Get tetanus booster every 10 years
• Get hepatitis B vaccine, if sexually active outside of a strictly monogamous relationship
• Get flu vaccine every year
• Get pneumonia vaccine every year

“Most men can be relatively disease free at age 60 to 70, but the risk of experiencing disease increases as you age,” Rothschild says. “That’s why extra vigilance from this point forward is prudent.”

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Please note: All physicians featured in Discover Rush Online are on the medical faculty of Rush University Medical Center. Some of the physicians featured are in private practice and, as independent practitioners, are not agents or employees of Rush University Medical Center.

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