Men's health month

June is Men’s Health month so let’s talk about it. 

In the beginning of my career as a Physician Assistant, I worked in Urgent care and the Emergency department.  One thing I remember from those days, is from time to time you could have a real profound, lasting impact on someone's health, and not always in the way you thought.  In the process of treating the condition they initially came in for, sometimes the patient's overall health or chronic conditions came up and I was quick to give a speech about it, or maybe a talk is a better word.  You never really knew when it was going to happen, but occasionally this led to a patient making real changes in their lives.  Even small changes can have big impacts over time, so in that spirit, let’s talk about one of the big three concerns for men's health. 

Heart Disease

It’s no surprise heart disease  is one of leading causes of death for men over 40.  Conditions like coronary artery disease, heart attacks and heart failure are all significant causes of death.  We have all heard about utilizing diet and exercise to change the course of heart disease, and many words have been written about what is the best cardiac diet.  I personally like to keep it simple.  Eat whole foods, avoid processed foods as much as possible, minimize your sugar intake and eat healthy fats (oils).  In my mind these are the four pillars of eating healthy. 

As for exercise, what can we say about it?   Just do it (insert Nike product here, lol).  I think the important thing to remember is that you do not have to become a triathlete, although that would certainly help you.  Small incremental changes will make a big difference.  Walk more, maybe jog a bit, do some pushups.  Moving in some way helps not only with heart disease but you will feel better.  As we age everything gets stiffer, tighter and hurts, so in my opinion, moving is the best way to keep your joints and your body in general feeling good.  If you can find a sport you enjoy like playing basketball, pickleball, or cycling.  Whatever it may be, then focus doing on that because If you enjoy it, you will likely do it more often.

Take a nap.  If you are struggling with the first two points, this one is your jam.  Studies have shown that daytime naps can significantly improve cardiovascular mortality.  This makes sense really because we know the negative impacts stress can have on your health and how rest in general is restorative.  So if your wife is asking what you are doing about your health you can say relax. No, don't tell your wife to relax, tell her you are relaxing for your cardiovascular health.  Also on a side note,  it seems  there is no additional cardiovascular benefit after 2 daytime naps per week.  You can decide who to share that information with. 

Stay healthy gents,

Pharaoh

Pharaoh Sargent PA-C

Founder PA Staffing Solutions