Preventive healthcare is a proactive approach to healthcare that focuses on maintaining health, preventing diseases before they occur, and detecting signs of developing diseases early1. Understanding our own health through routine screening and checkups helps us maintain a healthy life for longer, catch diseases before they can progress, and reduce long-term healthcare costs.
This blog will discuss the importance of preventive healthcare in men, including recommended screenings, hormone health, and personal health timelines.
Understanding Your Changing Health Through Age
The Importance of Men’s Preventive Care
As we age and our bodies change and evolve, so do our health concerns. Regular checkups and routine screenings enable men to take proactive control of their healthcare and understand how their risk of disease and ill health is changing. How men’s health risks change over a lifetime is the result of a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. We can’t change our genetic make-up, but awareness of genetic factors and family history can inform an effective preventive approach to healthcare. Ensuring a healthy lifestyle is also an effective form of preventive care, and regular checkups with a primary care physician can inform potential lifestyle changes to ensure health maintenance.
How Health Risks Evolve Over Time
As our bodies age, we experience different major health risks:
20s-30s - Early adulthood is an opportunity for men to take control of their health and understand their risks of age-related diseases such as heart disease. Testicular cancer is a major health concern for men in their 20s and 30s: the average age for testicular cancer diagnosis is 332. Men in their 20s are also at greater risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs)3. The greatest health risks to men in their 20s and 30s are associated with mental health issues4, and maintaining your mental health is equally important as caring for your physical health.
40s-50s - Heart disease is the major health risk for men in their 40s and 50s, and the risk of many cancers begins to rise in this age group5.
60s+ - Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men in the USA and is most prominent in men over 605. Physical issues, such as osteoporosis, are also a health concern for older men and can be mitigated by preventive health care measures.
The Role of Healthcare Providers
Regular preventive checkups help monitor key health indicators and allow men to understand their own personal health risks. Building a relationship with a trusted physician allows personalized health planning based on these key indicators and risks at each key stage of your health timeline.
Essential Screening Milestones by Age
Screenings for Men in Their 20s
Men in their 20s are at lower risk of developing many age-related diseases. However, early detection and effective preventative medicine will greatly reduce risks associated with aging and help protect against diseases more commonly found in younger men. Screenings include:
- Annual health check - regular health checkups with a healthcare provider are recommended, even for men who feel healthy. This can involve a physical exam, blood pressure tests, and cholesterol or diabetes screenings for those at risk6.
- Testicular cancer self-exams - can be done at home once a month while in the shower or bath and involve checking for lumps or changes in the testicles, which may be a sign of cancer7.
- STI screenings - regular screenings help detect STIs like HPV, which significantly increase cancer risk in men8.
Screenings for Men in Their 30s
As men enter their thirties, the risk of age-associated diseases begins to increase, particularly for those with a family history of illness.
- Continue regular preventive health checkups
- Heart disease screening - involves blood pressure monitoring and other blood tests, such as checks for high cholesterol. Primary care providers will work to calculate risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) based on these tests as well as family history and risk factors such as obesity and smoking9.
- Colon cancer screening - for those with a family history of colorectal cancer, screening should start early and can involve stool or blood tests and visual examination10.
Screenings for Men in Their 40s & Beyond
As men enter their 40s and above, the risk of age-related disease increases significantly.
- Colon cancer screening - regular tests for signs of colon cancer are recommended from the age of 45 onwards11.
- Prostate cancer screening - involves blood tests for levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and may also include a digital rectal exam. Screening for prostate cancer is recommended from the age of 50 and should be repeated every 2 to 4 years12.
- Bone density screening - involves screening for diseases such as osteoporosis, which can increase the risk of bone fractures. Screening is recommended for men over the age of 70 and involves an x-ray of bones to measure their density13.
Hormone Health Monitoring
Understanding Hormonal Changes by Decade
As men age, the balance in hormone levels in the body shifts, causing significant impacts to health and wellbeing. Testosterone levels in the body shoot up during puberty and reach their peak in a man’s early 20s. As men age through their 30s, 40s, and beyond, testosterone levels will slowly decrease, which can lead to muscle loss, weight gain, mood changes, and issues with libido. Men over the age of 60 will have significantly lower levels of testosterone than they had in their 20s14.
Testing & Managing Hormonal Imbalances
Changes in energy levels or mood, problems with sleep, weight gain, muscle loss, and changes in sex drive may all be the result of low testosterone. Testosterone in the body is measured by your healthcare provider with a blood test, and low levels can be managed using testosterone replacement therapy, for example, via skin gels15. Blood tests can also reveal the presence of thyroid disease, which causes hormonal imbalances and is treated with synthetic hormone pills.
Lifestyle Strategies for Hormonal Health
Lifestyle has a powerful impact on hormone activity in the body. Eating a healthy diet, exercising, sleeping well, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption all help prevent hormonal imbalance.
Creating Your Personal Screening Timeline
Why a Personalized Approach Matters
A man’s risk of disease and ill health evolves over a lifetime and is influenced by a variety of factors, including lifestyle, family history, and genetics. Because everyone’s journey through life is different, preventive healthcare plans need to be personalized to take into account the different risk factors that may impact when screening and checks need to be performed. For a man with a family history of cancer, a preventive approach to healthcare would include advanced imaging techniques like MRI scans in a proactive screening timeline. Personalized approaches empower individuals to understand their health timeline, make data-driven decisions about their healthcare, and enable a targeted approach to preventive healthcare.
Using Health Apps & Digital Tools for Tracking
Novel digital tools and health apps make it possible to conveniently track health data, screening results, and risk factors in one place. These tools enable a personalized and proactive approach to wellness and preventive healthcare by empowering individuals to take control of their health timeline and make informed decisions about their healthcare.
How Ezra Can Support Proactive Health Management
Ezra offers comprehensive full-body MRI scans that screen 13 organs for potential signs of disease, including tumors. These scans can detect abnormalities and early signs of disease, potentially before the development of symptoms. Early detection enables an early diagnosis and improves the likelihood of successful treatment outcomes.
Summary: Preventive Healthcare for Men Across Life Stages
Preventive approaches to healthcare highlight the importance of regular checkups and screenings to maintain health and wellness, prevent the development of disease, and catch developing issues at the earliest possible stage. Personalized approaches are a powerful tool that enables effective and targeted screening to bolster these preventive measures and empower individuals to guide their health journey.
Men’s bodies undergo dramatic changes as they age. Changes in hormone balance throughout life impact all aspects of health and wellness, while the risk of age-related diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disease increases. Therefore, a proactive approach to health at every stage of life allows us to understand, prioritize, and optimize our own health.
If you want to be proactive about your health, why not book an Ezra full body MRI? Our annual scan catches potential cancer earlier, leveraging AI through the screening process to make it more efficient, affordable, and faster.
