Men in the United States live about five years less than women, are more likely to die of nearly every leading cause of death, and are considerably less likely to have a primary care provider. Those facts are related. Most of what shortens men’s lives is detectable years in advance and boring to treat — blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and the things men decide not to mention.
If you have not had a check-up in several years, that is the entire action item here.
Your numbers, by age
Every adult, from your 20s onwards: blood pressure at least annually. Cholesterol from about 20, then every four to six years unless your risk is higher. Blood sugar from 35, earlier with risk factors. Weight and waist. A conversation about alcohol, tobacco, and mood.
From 45: colorectal cancer screening — colonoscopy every ten years, or a stool test annually. This is the single most-skipped screening and one of the most effective.
From 50: shingles vaccine (two doses), pneumococcal vaccine, and an annual skin check, which matters more in Arizona than almost anywhere.
From 55 (or 45 if you are Black or have a father or brother with prostate cancer): a discussion about PSA testing. It is a shared decision with real trade-offs on both sides, not an automatic yes or no.
65 to 75, if you have ever smoked: a one-time ultrasound for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Quick, painless, and it finds a condition that is otherwise silent until it ruptures.
50 to 80, if you have a 20 pack-year smoking history and smoke now or quit within 15 years: annual low-dose CT for lung cancer.
Things men specifically don’t bring up
These are the ones that get left out of the appointment, and several of them are the most informative.
Erectile dysfunction is a cardiovascular symptom. This is the single most useful thing in this article. The arteries supplying the penis are smaller than those supplying the heart, so they narrow first — ED frequently precedes a cardiac event by several years. It is also associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, and low testosterone. Treating it is straightforward; the reason to raise it is that it is an early warning about your whole circulatory system. Mention it.
Mood, alcohol, and suicide risk. Men die by suicide at roughly four times the rate of women, and are far less likely to seek help for depression. Depression in men often presents as irritability, anger, exhaustion, physical pain, reckless behaviour, or drinking more — not sadness. If that describes the last six months, it is a medical problem with effective treatment.
Testicular changes. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in men aged roughly 15 to 40, and it is highly curable when caught early. There is no formal screening programme, so awareness is the mechanism: know what is normal for you and report any new lump, swelling, heaviness, or aching. It is usually benign. Get it looked at anyway.
Snoring and daytime exhaustion. Sleep apnoea is common, under-diagnosed, and a genuine cardiovascular risk factor. If your partner has noticed you stop breathing, that is worth an appointment.
Low testosterone — with caution. Genuine deficiency causes fatigue, low libido, mood changes, and loss of muscle, and is treatable. But testosterone is heavily marketed online and through clinics with a commercial interest, and treatment has real risks including effects on fertility and blood counts. It needs proper morning blood testing, repeated, and a clinician with no stake in the answer.
The habits, in order of impact
Do not smoke or vape. Nothing else on this list comes close, and quitting works at any age. Medication plus support roughly triples success rates over willpower alone — ask us.
Move 150 minutes a week, plus strength training twice. Muscle mass declines from your 30s, and resistance training is the only thing that meaningfully slows it. It also protects your bones, your blood sugar, and your balance in later life.
Keep alcohol modest. It raises blood pressure, disrupts sleep, triggers atrial fibrillation, and is a carcinogen.
Sleep seven to nine hours.
Eat mostly plants, fish, and whole grains. You do not need a diet name.
Have a primary care provider. Not a walk-in you visit when something breaks — someone with your history who notices trends over years. That continuity is what catches things early.
Arizona specifics
Heat and exertion. Men make up the majority of heat-illness cases we see, generally because of outdoor work, golf, or hiking at the wrong hour. Exercise before 7am or after 7pm in summer, hydrate deliberately, and stop at the first symptom rather than pushing through.
Sun exposure. Decades of outdoor work and recreation here add up. Get an annual skin check, and wear the hat.
Seasonal residents. If you spend half the year here with a physician elsewhere, nobody local has your baseline. Establishing care before you need it is an hour well spent.
Where to go
Book our Medical Clinic for a check-up, your numbers, overdue screenings, or any of the awkward items above. There is nothing on that list our providers have not discussed a hundred times. Call (602) 671-7981.
Come to our Emergency Room — open 24 hours — for chest pain, stroke symptoms, severe injury, or heat illness: (602) 671-7990. Call 911 for chest pain or stroke signs.
If you are in crisis, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free and staffed 24 hours — call or text 988.
Related: heart health · cancer screenings by age · mental health
Sources
- CDC — Men’s health
- US Preventive Services Task Force — A–Z recommendations
- American Urological Association — Erectile dysfunction guideline-guideline)
- NIMH — Men and mental health