Reduce your risks for disease and disability
What if men approached their health at midlife the way that financial experts advise them to plan for retirement? Some of the same rules apply. Take a close look at where things stand now, and then take steps to protect your future. If you’ve taken risks, it is time to start reducing them and instead invest in ways that are likely to pay benefits in the future.
So how do you start investing wisely in your health? First, acknowledge what you can’t control. Then put your energies into changing what you can — for the better. This report is intended to provide information about both approaches as it covers the diseases and conditions that most often jeopardize the lives — and quality of life — in men who are middle-aged and older. Although the report covers a variety of conditions, certain themes appear again and again.
What you can’t control
Even though you can’t change the following factors, you can take them into account while determining your risk for certain conditions. Knowing your risks may help motivate you to make the changes that you can.
Age. As people grow older, their bodies undergo gradual physical changes that are normal and inevitable. Cells, for example, may become damaged by random genetic mistakes that occur as cells divide and DNA is improperly copied. Although your body has many built-in repair systems, sometimes these also break down, and over time the cellular damage accumulates.
Family history. When an immediate family member— a parent or a sibling—develops a problem such as heart disease or cancer, it could mean that you are at risk as well. Shared genes explain some of this risk, but so do shared lifestyles, such as the food you eat and how active you are.
What you can control
It may surprise you to know that what you can control often affects your health much more than the factors you can’t control. For all the media coverage of new genetic discoveries, for example, the old tried-and-true advice about diet and exercise matters more in the end. There’s a saying, “Genes load the gun, and lifestyle pulls the trigger.” In other words, you can avoid activating many disease-promoting genes if you adopt healthy habits. Moreover, you can amplify the benefits of “good genes” with positive lifestyle choices.
Here are some of the most important things to consider as you look at the health investments you want to make going forward.
Whether you smoke. About one in four American men smokes cigarettes, pipes, or some other form of tobacco. If you are one of them, kicking the habit is the single most important thing you can do to improve your health.
What you eat. Consuming a healthy diet on a regular basis is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of multiple, life-threatening illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, and some of the most common cancers.
How much you move. Get active, live longer. Not only that, but live better. Study after study has linked greater amounts of physical activity to improved mood, better blood sugar control, reduced risk of heart disease, and other benefits.