Is the Man in Your Life Having These Important Men’s Health Screening Tests?

It’s a disturbing fact: Men are less likely to go to the doctor for checkups and men’s health screenings.

According to the Mayo Clinic, they are not only reluctant to seek medical help when something seems wrong, but they aren’t as likely as women to have regular physicals.

So, what should you do?

Make sure that the men in your family go to see one of our internal medicine physicians in Raleigh regularly. As men age, they’re at greater risk for diseases such as colon cancer, prostate cancer and heart disease. Therefore, we encourage you to make sure your father, brother, spouse or loved one is having these tests that are important to men’s health.

At Raleigh Adult Medicine, we specialize in men’s health screening, offering regular screenings and providing treatment plans tailored to fit each individual patient’s needs.

Important Tests Your Father Should Have

Of course, what tests are needed, and how often, typically depends upon age and family medical history. In general, we suggest these potentially life-saving screenings:

Complete Blood Work

You may hear this referred to as a CBC or complete blood count. Through this we assess white and red blood cells. This helps us look for signs of anemia and even serious diseases such as leukemia. We are also able to examine the platelet health— the parts of your blood that allow it to clot.

Men’s Health Screening: Blood Pressure

If caught early, chronic high blood pressure can be successfully treated. If left unchecked, it can lead to diseases such as:

• Heart attacks
• Stroke
• Heart failure
• Aneurysm
• Loss of vision
• Kidney failure
• Memory issues

Typically, a combination of lifestyle changes, diet modifications and medication can treat high blood pressure successfully.

Cholesterol Screenings

High cholesterol can dramatically increase your risk for heart disease. You’re also more likely to have high cholesterol if:

• You have a family history
• You smoke
• You’re overweight
• You lead a sedentary lifestyle
• You have diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated three million Americans over the age of 20 have cholesterol levels that are higher than 200 mg/dL. Almost 29 million have a level higher than 240 mg/dL.

For comparison, a normal cholesterol level is less than 200 mg/dL.

Because there are no symptoms, it’s very possible to have high cholesterol and not even realize it—another reason why men’s health screenings are so important.

Men’s Health Screening Tests for Diabetes

When we collect blood for lab work, we also check the fasting blood sugar level and the A1C. The A1C measures the average blood sugar over the past three months. By doing so, we can detect Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.

The American Diabetes Association suggests regular screenings for those older than 45 or those who have a body mass index more than 25 (regardless of age).

You can discover your body mass index by using this online calculator.

Many may have diabetes and not even be aware of it. This is because the symptoms will often vary depending upon how high the blood sugar levels are.

In general, symptoms include:

• Increased thirst
• A frequent urge to urinate
• Unintentional weight loss
• Fatigue
• Extreme hunger
• Wounds or sores that are slow to heal
• Blurred vision
• Frequent infections

If your father or loved one mentions any of these symptoms, be sure that they schedule an appointment with us.

Men’s Health Screening: Colon Cancer

Did you know that colon cancer is the third most common cancer among Americans? According to the American Cancer Society, a man’s lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is around 1 in 23.

This is one reason that we recommend regular colon cancer screenings for men. When these screenings should begin depends upon a number of factors, including whether or not there is an illness such as Crohn’s or other type of inflammatory bowel disease present. Family history is also a factor.

We recommend that a colonoscopy—a screening test for colon cancer— begin at age 45. However, if there is an immediate relative who had colon cancer, we may suggest screening earlier.

Prostate Cancer Screenings

We also highly recommend having annual prostate cancer screenings. When should these screenings begin?

We suggest screenings should begin at:

• Age 50 if there is an average risk of developing prostate cancer.
• Age 45 if there is a high risk of developing prostate cancer.
• Age 40 if there is a very high risk of developing prostate cancer.

What Constitutes a High Risk for Prostate Cancer?

Your risk for prostate cancer increases if:

• There is a father or brother (first-degree relative) who was diagnosed with prostate cancer before age 65
• You are African-American
• There is more than one first-degree relative who developed prostate cancer

We work with all our patients to tailor a screening program that best suits their needs and addresses their risks for developing certain diseases.

AAA (abdominal aortic aneurysm) Screening

An AAA screening is recommended for men 65 to 75 years old who have ever smoked and should have an ultrasound screening for presence of AAA.

Lung Cancer Screening

A lose-dose radiation CT scan of the lung is recommended to screen for lung cancer in those ages 55 to 80 years old who have had a 30-pack a year smoking history and are currently smoking or have quit within the past 15 years.

Raleigh Adult Medicine Specializes in Men’s Health Screening

Are the men in your life taking care of themselves? Studies often show that men are less likely than women to seek medical care. Therefore, if you’re concerned that they may not be getting the men’s health screenings they need, we suggest giving them a gentle, loving reminder.

It’s important for men to have these regular screenings in order to avoid complications later. For example, if prediabetes is discovered, an effective treatment plan can prevent it from becoming Type 2 diabetes.

We work with our patients to help ensure they are living the healthiest life possible and reducing their risk of illnesses such as heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

We would consider it a privilege to be your medical home. Please contact us to schedule an appointment.

For more than 20 years, Raleigh Adult Medicine has served as the Triangle area’s premier internal medicine provider. We tailor our treatments to provide the finest personalized health care available for each stage of your adult life. Contact us to schedule an appointment.