June is Men's Health Month

We all know that men can be hesitant to ask for help with their health.  June is Men's Health Month and Monday, June 11th, marks the beginning of this year's National Men's Health Week.  The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.

Even though there are roughly 115 males conceived for every 100 females, men have a difficult life...

• Men are 16 times as likely as women to be colorblind.
• Men suffer hearing loss twice the rate of women.
• The male hormone, testosterone, is linked to elevations of LDL ("bad" cholesterol) as well as declines in HDL ("good" cholesterol).
• Men have fewer infection-fighting T-cells and are thought to have weaker immune systems than women.
• Men have a higher death rate from pneumonia and influenza than women.
• Stroke, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and accidents -- all among the top causes of death -- kill men at a higher rate than women.
• Men ages 55-64 are twice as likely as women to die in car accidents.
• Men ages 55-74 are twice as likely as women to die of heart disease.
• Among people 65 and older, men account for 84 percent of suicides.

The good news?  Men who live to be 100 tend to be in better shape than their centenarian female counterparts.  So, guys, what can you do?   Stay in shape, eat right and see you doctor for regular check-ups.  Not sure when your last check-up occurred?  Don't wait for something to go wrong.  Take the preventative approach and take charge of your health.  You deserve it and so does your family!

Stop in at PROMATx Health Club and find out how we can help you improve your health.  Make an appointment with our nutrition specialist to learn how to make better food choices.  Stop in today...we are here to help you make your own transformation!!

"Recognizing and preventing men's health problems is not just a man's issue.  Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men's health is truly a family issue." 

-- Congressman Bill Richardson, 1994

High Blood Pressure - The Silent Killer

Did you know that more than 66 million American adults suffer from high blood pressure? Did you know high blood pressure is known as the "silent killer"? It is given this name because high blood pressure (hypertension) doesn't have any symptoms and many people don't realize they have it. Hypertension also increases a person's chance for heart disease, stroke, and other serious problems.  Despite this, hypertension is easy to check for and can easily be controlled through exercise, diet and medication. 

In 2007, the Kentucky Department of Public Health published the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey results and showed that adults in Kentucky had the following risk factors for heart disease and stroke:

• 30% of adults in Kentucky had high blood pressure
• 38.5% of those screened reported having high blood cholesterol
• 9.9% had diabetes
• 28.2% were current smokers
• 69.1% were overweight or obese
• 55.8% reported no exercise in the prior 30 days
• 81.6% ate fruit and vegetables less than 5 times a day

As if these statistics were bad enough, all of these were higher than the national average!

Do you see any of those statistics that are "controllable"?  Meaning a person has the ability to affect the outcome?  All 7 of the above statistics fall under "controllable, lifestyle risk factors".  You have the power to prevent heart disease and stroke through exercise and diet.

Studies published to date suggest that moderate-intensity activity may be most effective in lowering blood pressure.  Furthermore, regular physical activity has been shown to be effective in reducing the relative risk of developing hypertension by 19-30%!!

Do you have hypertension?  Do you know what your numbers are?  Talk to your doctor or health-care practitioner for more information.  If you are already battling high blood pressure, be sure your tell your doctor you are exercising (or getting ready to start an exercise program).  It's important to have an open line of communication so adjustments can be made in medication.

Another reason to start your exercise program today!  Don't become a statistic...take charge of your health.  Stop in at PROMATx Health Club and learn how you can take charge and make your own transformation.