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AGING MALE HEALTH CHALLENGES
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Meet Sally!
In this video Sally will give you an introduction to the blog about aging Male Health challenges
Important aging male check-ups
Top health risks for the aging male
Aging male health challenges
Erectile Dysfunction
The aging penis
Did you know …
- The biggest health challenge of all is that men tend to take better care of their cars or favourite gadget than their bodies
- Many men do not make their health a high priority.
- In fact the ailments that cause the most deaths and illnesses in men are either preventable or treatable.
- Major risks to aging male health include
– heart disease
– cancer
– depression
– the tendency to engage in risky behaviour
- Addressing health can be scary, but avoiding it altogether can be deadly
- The “medical gender gap” and its consequences are real – men in general dying about 5 years earlier than women on average.
- The good news is that you can do a lot to take control of your health, starting with prioritizing prevention aka attending regular check-ups
- BUT unfortunately, men are usually less willing than women to visit doctors
– For check-ups or preventative care
– To seek treatment during the early stages of an ailment
– To seek mental health advice.
- Men are also more likely to engage in risky behaviour like
– drinking alcohol in excess
– smoking tobacco
– driving dangerously
– dying of accidental deaths
- Luckily, there are many easy steps that men can take to improve their health and regular check-ups and health screenings can result in longer, healthier lives in most men
- BUT men avoid seeking healthcare until they have to.
- About 38% of men admit to only going to the doctor when they are extremely sick or when symptoms don’t go away on their own.
- In a survey from the American Academy of Family Physicians, 55% of men admitted that they had not seen a doctor for a physical exam within the previous year, although 40% of them had one or more chronic health conditions.
- Interestingly, men who are married are more likely to visit the doctor and seek preventative services than cohabitating men or other non-married men.
- Visiting the doctor regularly can help men catch potentially deadly diseases or conditions early.
- And living a healthy lifestyle can prevent and treat most problems associated with men’s health.
Aging Male Syndrome
- Obesity
- Insulin Resistance and Type 2 Diabetes
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Cardiovascular disease
- Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms – AAA
- Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis
- Sarcopenia
- Anaemia – low iron
- Cognitive decline and dementia
- Depression
- Prostate problems such as
– BPH
– Cancer
- Erectile dysfunction
- Cancer
NB! – While every man faces unique risks based on genetics and other factors, it’s a good idea to be mindful of how to protect yourself against these common health conditions that can increase in risk after the decline in testosterone.
Aging Male Health Checks
Home monitoring – daily / weekly
- Height
- Weight
- Waist circumference
- Blood sugar
- Blood pressure
Well-man blood check-ups – annually
- Check the list here
- Important to include Total Testosterone and Estradiol
Cardiovascular check-ups – annually
- Cardiac stress tests
- CAC scores
- especially if a family member has or had cardiovascular problems
- Blood pressure should be screened at least every 2 years in men with normal blood pressure.
- Men with high blood pressure or risk factors for heart disease or stroke should be screened at least once per year.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm / AAA– annually
- check-ups after 60
Diabetes
- Men should begin screening for diabetes if they have high blood pressure.
- All men should begin regular screening for diabetes around the age of 45
- Screening should begin earlier in men who are overweight or have other risk factors for diabetes.
Colon check-ups – every 2 years
- Colonoscopy
- Begin screening for colon cancer at the age of 50.
- Men with a family history of colon cancer should begin screening sooner.
Neurological check-ups – annually
- MRI or CT scans
- Especially if a family member has or had dementia and or depression
- Men should talk to a doctor or therapist if they feel little pleasure doing things or if they experience prolonged sadness, hopelessness, anxiety, or excessive anger
Bone scans – every 2 years
- DEXA
- Ultrasound
- Specific blood and urine tests for bone turnover
- Especially if a family member has or had osteoporosis and as close to 50 as possible
Prostate – annually
- PSA – Prostate Specific Antigen
- You have the right to a PSA test if you’re over 50
- If you’re black or you have a family history of prostate cancer test from the age of 45
Lung Cancer
- Men between the ages of 55 and 80 years old should begin screening for lung cancer
- Especially if they have a significant history of smoking tobacco.
Anaemia – low iron
- Ferritin levels
- Testosterone levels.
Aging Male Diet Changes
Your body changes as you age, so your diet needs to change, too.
Low carbs for health blood sugar
- Insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes are prevalent in aging males, which are disease states related to excess and or poor glucose regulation
- Restrict carbohydrates aka glucose to max 30g per meal
- Glucose is in ALL carbohydrates, ie. starches and sugars
- Don’t be conned by whole grains – if there is flour, the grains are processed and thereby lots of free glucose
Protein for healthy muscle mass
- Sarcopenia is age related loss of muscle mass
- 80 year old men can have lost as much as 50% of skeletal muscle mass.
- Eating enough protein reduces the impact of muscle wasting – animal protein is superior
- 2 -1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of weight – if you weigh 80 kilos you need 90 – 120 g per day / 30 – 40 g per meal – CHECK YOUR FOODS HERE
Healthy Fats for a healthy brain
- MCT, ALA and EPA fatty acids are important as the brain will readily produce ketones from these fatty acids, hopefully instead of breaking down its own fats. BUY HERE
- As glucose becomes less stable, ketones are needed to make energy
- BTW – Animal fats increase satiety and they taste great
B’ vitamins for health in general
- Better brain function
- Better energy production
- Essential for methylation
- Essential for maturing red blood cells. BUY HERE.
Magnesium for health in general
- Better energy production – glycolysis aka the breakdown of glucose in the cell fluid
- Relaxation – by controlling the excitatory effects of calcium
- Better bone health – by assisting the activation of vitamin D, which helps regulate calcium and phosphate influencing the growth and maintenance of bones
- More Vitamin D – all of the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D to its active forms Calcifediol / D3 and Calcitriol require magnesium. BUY HERE.
In general
- Make unprocessed foods the foundation of your diet.
- Focus on healthy meats and organs, bone broth, fruits, healthy animal fats and if you want to eat veggies make sure they are cooked to remove anti-nutrients – READ MORE HERE
- Drink plenty of water, even if you don’t feel thirsty, start the day with a big glass of warm/hot fresh lemon water
- Plan your food intake for the day – put it in your schedule, eg. 1pm lunch which contains 100 – 150g of animal meat or organs with an avocado, balsamic vinegar and a piece of fruit, etc.
- Enjoy your last meal of the day before 6pm as many times a week as possible.
Aging Male Health Tips
Get physical
- Walking
- Playing sports
- Yard work
- 30 minutes of moderate physical activity during most days of the week.
Eat healthy
- See the article – aging male diet changes
- Maintain a healthy weight
Moderate alcohol
- Max 2 drinks per day.
Quit smoking
- Nothing good to say about smoking
- Careful with passive smoking
Manage stress
- Talk to family, friends or your doctor about seeking treatment if you feel depressed.
Drive safe
- Wear a seat belt
- Follow the speed limit
- Common sense on the road
Avoid STDs
- Get tested
- Know your partner’s history
- Use latex condoms
Get mental
- Intellectual activities help protect men older than 60 from some mental health diseases.
Aging Male and Disease Prevention
- Replace Testosterone
- Stop smoking
- Reduce alcohol consumption
- Regular aerobic exercise
- Regular strength exercise
- Regular mental stimulation
- Healthy diet – low carb, high protein
- Control of body weight
- Regular screening for prostate and colon cancer, CV disease and AAA
- Consider specific prevention therapies for other diseases when at higher risk due to family history or other personal risk factors.
Aging Male and CHD / Coronary Heart Disease
- Is the leading cause of death in aging males
- Especially in he over 65’s
- Especially in people of colour
- Average age for a heart attack is 64.5 (women 70.3)
- Though 20% of those who die of heart disease are under the age of 65, the majority of heart attack deaths occur age 65 and older
- Common challenges
– Heart failure
– Coronary artery disease
– Atrial fibrillation
– Hypertension
- Normal aging causes your heart and blood vessels to stiffen
- High blood pressure is the most common heart condition in men (and women) over 75
- Testosterone deficiency in aging males is associated with, coronary artery disease, and heart failure.
- Men’s coping strategies to stressful events may contribute to their increased risk for CHD.
Symptoms to act on
- Pain, numbness, and/or tingling in the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back
- Shortness of breath when active, at rest, or while lying flat
- Chest pain during physical activity that gets better when you rest
- Light-headedness
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Headaches
- Cold sweats
- Nausea/vomiting
- Tiredness or fatigue
- Swelling in the ankles, feet, legs, stomach, and/or neck
- Reduced ability to exercise or be physically active
- Problems doing your normal activities
- Low Testosterone.
Aging Male and Prostate
- Enlarged prostate gland is very common in the aging male
- Also referred to as BPH / benign prostatic hyperplasia
- The prostate continues to grow as a man matures, potentially squeezing the urethra and affecting bladder control.
- Some of the prostate tissue is replaced with a scar like tissue
- The size of the prostate does not always determine the severity of the blockage or symptoms.
- Some men with greatly enlarged prostates have little blockage and few symptoms
- Other men who have minimally enlarged prostates have greater blockage and more symptoms
- The cause of BPH is not well understood
– Occurs mainly in older men
– Does not develop in men whose testicles were removed before puberty
– Scientific studies suggest that BPH may occur because the higher proportion of Estrogen (which occurs with aging) within the prostate increases the activity of substances that promote prostate cell growth
– Other research suggests that Di-Hydro-Testosterone accumulates in the prostate, despite the fall in blood Testosterone as men who do not produce DHT do not develop BPH.
- Is the most common prostate problem diagnosed in men over 50
- Effects approx. 50% of men between the ages of 51 and 60
- Effects approx. 70% among men aged 60 to 69
- Effects approx. 80% of men over the age of 70.
- Effects approx. 90% of men over 80
- For most patients, BPH (enlarged prostate) is curable.
Factors that increases the risk BPH
- Age 40 years and older
- Family history of BPH
- Medical conditions such as:
– Obesity
– Heart and circulatory disease
– Type 2 diabetes
- Lack of physical exercise
- Erectile dysfunction
Symptoms to act on
- Slowed urination and ejaculation
- Urinary frequency – 8 or more times a day
- Urinary urgency – the inability to delay urination
- Trouble starting a urine stream
- A weak or an interrupted urine stream
- Dribbling at the end of urination
- Nocturia – frequent urination during periods of sleep
- Urinary retention
- Urinary incontinence – accidental loss of urine
- Pain after ejaculation or during urination
- Urine that has an unusual colour or smell.
Aging Male and Diabetes
- Nearly 50% of all people with type 2 diabetes are aged 65 or older
- Testosterone deficiency in aging males is associated with Diabetes type 2
- Due to impaired insulin release and insulin resistance
Symptoms to act on
- Feeling tired
- Increased thirst
- Urinating often, especially at night
- Blurred vision
- Skin infections
- Cuts and bruises heal slowly
- Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
- Frequent penile thrush.
Aging Male and Cancer
- Common male cancers:
– Prostate cancer – 451 per 100,000
– Lung cancer – 449 per 100,000
– Colon cancer – 176 per 100,000
– Skin cancer / melanoma – 21.8 per 100,000 (basal cell more common but not deadly)
- Elderly men have an almost double cancer incidence rate compared with elderly women
- 50% all cancers are in the over 70’s.
- NB! if you suffer with any of the symptoms contact your doctor for testing.
Prostate
- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer, except for skin cancers.
- The chance of getting prostate cancer increases with age.
- Most prostate cancers are found in men over the age of 65
- African American men and Caribbean men of African ancestry are more likely to develop prostate cancer than men of other races.
- Having one or more close relatives with prostate cancer also increases a man’s risk of having prostate cancer.
Symptoms to act on
- Difficulty starting urination
- Weak or interrupted flow of urine or the need to strain to empty the bladder
- Urinating often, especially at night
- Trouble emptying the bladder completely
- Pain or burning during urination
- Blood in the urine or semen
- Pain in the back, hips, or pelvis
- Painful ejaculation
- Frequent urination
- New onset of erectile dysfunction
- Discomfort or pain when sitting, caused by an enlarged prostate
- NB! these symptoms may be caused by conditions other than prostate cancer, such as BPH / benign prostate enlargement, inflammation of the prostate.
Colorectal cancer
- Cancer that starts in the colon or rectum.
- Factors that increase colorectal cancer risk include
- being overweight / obese
- physical inactivity
- a diet high in processed meats
- smoking
- heavy alcohol use
- age / being older
- family history of colorectal cancer
- personal history of polyps.
Symptoms to act on
- Discomfort or urge to have a bowel movement when there is no need
- Abdominal pain or cramping pain in your lower stomach
- Bloating or full feeling
- Change in appetite
- Rectal bleeding
- Blood in the stool or toilet after a bowel movement
- Excessive fatigue
- Weight loss without dieting
- unexplained changes that persist for more than 2 weeks.
Lung cancer
- Smoking tobacco is the leading cause of lung cancer
- While, not all people with lung cancer are people who smoke.
- Exposure to chemicals and other particles in the air can also be a cause.
Symptoms to act on
- Coughing that gets worse or doesn’t go away
- Chest pain – especially when breathing deeply, coughing or laughing
- Shortness of breath
- Wheezing
- Coughing up blood
- Feeling very tired all the time
- Weight loss with no known cause.
Skin cancer
- Anyone can get skin cancer
- People with fair skin are more likely to get skin cancer than people with darker skin.
- Most basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers are caused by repeated and unprotected skin exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight, as well as from man-made sources such as tanning beds.
- A type of skin cancer called melanoma is less common than some other types of skin cancer, but is more dangerous because it is more likely to grow and spread.
- People who have had other types of skin cancers and people with a close family member who had melanoma have an increased risk for melanoma.
Symptoms to act on
- New moles
- Moles that increases in size
- An outline of a mole that becomes notched
- A spot that changes colour from brown to black
- A spot that becomes raised or develops a lump within it
- The surface of a mole becoming rough, scaly or ulcerated
- Moles that itch or tingle
- Moles that bleed or ooze
- Spots that look different from the others
- Changes in the appearance of a mole
- Skin changes after a mole has been removed
- A sore or spot that won’t go away
- Vision problems – could be melanoma
- Changes in your fingernails or toenails – could be melanoma.
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