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Well, there is no
scientific way to prove that these are the 12 most important health
practices for all men—but one can make a pretty good case for both
the list and the order. The best part is they are all under your
control. So here goes:
The Top10
1. Don’t smoke- Smoking is estimated to kill thousands of men every
single year. Choosing not to smoke is, without doubt, the single
most important health decision you can make.
2. Control your weight- This is not that easy because the connection
between obesity and actual illness or deaths is often more indirect
than is the case with smoking. But obesity is responsible for many
deaths every year.
3. Drink alcohol in moderation- This message can be taken in both
positive and negative terms. Truly moderate drinking (one to two
standard size drinks per day) does reduce the risk of coronary
artery disease, the No. 1 cause of death. However, excessive
drinking is a major cause of both physical disease and social
tragedy..
4. Exercise regularly- This health practice has enormous physical
and emotional benefits. Besides reducing the risk of high blood
pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and
osteoporosis, regular exercise can be helpful in raising our general
mood and reducing the risk of depression.
5. Have regular cholesterol and blood pressure tests- Both high
cholesterol and high blood pressure can be described as “silent
killers,” since they can cause extensive damage to the heart and
arteries without any telltale symptoms until it is often too late.
Therefore, the only way to find out if you have a potential problem
is to get tested.
6. Take a baby aspirin every day (for most men)- Unless you are
truly allergic to aspirin (very rare) or at high risk for
gastrointestinal bleeding (not very common), this daily dose of
aspirin is one of the most beneficial and simple things you can do.
It reduces the risk of clot formation in the arteries leading to
your heart and brain, thereby reducing the risk of both heart
attacks and strokes. And it probably acts in many other beneficial
ways we don’t yet fully understand.
7. Practice safe sex- In this age of AIDS, you could make a good
case for putting this higher on the list. But even less lethal
sexually transmitted diseases can cause a wide range of
disabilities, such as infertility problems and pelvic pain in women.
And unless you are in a truly monogamous relationship, there is no
good way to tell if a partner is safe, so prevention using condoms
is the key.
8. Have regular glaucoma screenings-Glaucoma is a major cause of
blindness and it usually doesn’t produce visual symptoms until it
has caused significant damage to the optic nerve. That’s why eye
doctors call it a “thief in the night.” The other benefit of
glaucoma screening is that your ophthalmologist will have the
opportunity to check for other eye problems such as macular
degeneration as well.
9. Use a sunscreen of at least 15 SPF- Skin cancers are the most
common of all cancers by far. Fortunately, most of them (basal cell
and squamous cell carcinomas) are rarely lethal, though they can
certainly cause local disfigurement if not diagnosed early. Melanoma
is both disfiguring and lethal, so it must be diagnosed as early as
possible. But since it is so inconvenient to do a truly thorough
check of the skin, at least by yourself, prevention is a very
helpful tool.
10. Find time for some kind of meditation/relaxation practice- This
goal is very flexible. It is more important to set aside some time
for relaxation than it is to worry about a specific relaxation
technique. Even physical activity that is “relaxing” in the sense
that it gets your mind away from stressful thoughts can be helpful.
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