Men’s Health: The Silent Health Crisis
Posted on November 17, 2014
This week I am going to advocate for more awareness for men’s health. My husband likes to tell me that he was not built for longevity…. but I want him to be by my side as we grow older.
According to Dr. David Gremillion, from menshealthnetwork.org, 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.”
Here are some of the facts:
- Men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death and are the victims of over 92% of workplace deaths. (BLS)
- In 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now, men, on average, die almost five years earlier than women. (CDC)
- Seeking preventive health services: women are 100% more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services than men. (CDC 2001)
- Depression in men goes largely undiagnosed contributing to the fact that men are 4 x as likely to commit suicide.
- Among 15- to 19-year-olds, boys were 4 x as likely as girls to commit suicide
- Among 20- to 24-year-olds, males were 6 x as likely to commit suicide as females
- The suicide rate for persons age 65 and above: men…28.5 – women…3.9.
- Men suffer hearing loss at 2x the rate of women.
- Testosterone is linked to elevations of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and declines in HDL, the good cholesterol.
- Men have fewer infection-fighting T-cells and are thought to have weaker immune systems than women.
Although there are 115 males conceived for every 100 females, the male fetus is at greater risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
- 25% more newborn males die than females
- 3/5 of SIDS victims are boys
Let’s take a look at life expectancy at the time of birth in 2010:
Females Age Males Age
All Females 81.0 All Males 76.2
Hispanic Females 83.8 Hispanic Males 78.5
White Females 81.3 White Males 76.5
Black Females 78.0 Black Males 71.8
By the age of 100, women outnumber men eight to one.
Following are the causes of death and the rates between men and women:
MALES FEMALES
Heart Disease 228.6 143.0
Cancer 211.6 146.8
Injuries 51.1 24.6
Stroke 39.7 37.8
Suicide 19.2 4.9
HIV/AIDS 4.4 1.7
Men are also more likely to be victims of homicide. The chance of being a homicide victim places African-American men at unusually high risk. The chance of being a homicide victim:
- 1 in 30 for black males
- 1 in 179 for white males
- 1 in 132 for black females
- 1 in 495 for white females
Don’t forget to take my quick weekly quiz and claim your reward. Act now before they are all gone!
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