According to the Men’s Health Network, there is a silent health crisis in America: on average, American men are sicker and die younger than American women. June is Men’s Health Month, and Dr. Patrick Remington of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health says there are some fairly simple things men could do, to improve their health. While he acknowledges women do live longer than men, he says men are closing the gap. Statistics show men are twice as likely as women to have a heart attack. By the age of 100, women outnumber men 8 to 1. Dr. Remington says something as simple as making an appointment for a general check-up could help men live more healthy and longer lives. It remains a fact that women are twice as likely as men to visit a doctor for a checkup or annual exam. Remington says one of the reasons men are four times as likely to commit suicide as women is that depression in men is largely undiagnosed. Often, to their detriment, men simply don’t want to share their feelings with a medical professional. Dr. Remington says men need to overcome that hesitance and begin an honest dialog with their physician. The Men’s Health Network is one resource to help men get on the right track. It’s online at mens-health-network-dot-org. Dr. Remington was a guest on AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.
