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Men's Health Month: How to stay healthy and safe

The CDC listed the top five leading causes for death for men. Our 9NEWS medical expert discusses ways to reduce the risk.

DENVER — As part of Men's Health Month, which falls in June, we're looking at ways men can stay healthy and safe.

The Centers for Disease Control lists out the top five leading causes of death for men. Here are some tips for men on how to stay healthy:

Heart disease and stroke

The number one and number five causes of death for men are heart disease and stroke. But preventing both are related. How can men keep their hearts and their brains healthy? 

  • High blood pressure
  • Diabetes
  • High cholesterol
  • 30 minutes of vigorous exercise 5 days a week
  • Diet: DASH or the Mediterranean are best
  • Control your weight
  • Don’t smoke

Cancer

The second leading cause of death is cancer. What can you do to prevent or detect cancer earlier?

Prostate Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, the top cancers in men are prostate, colon, lung and skin cancer. Recommendations for prostate cancer screening are changing, but according to the ACS if you have a family history of early prostate cancers (earlier than 65 years old) or are African-American, you should start getting prostate-specific antigen screening every year at 45 years old. All men should get screened by age 50.

Colorectal Cancer

People born in 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer as compared to people born in 1950. This has led to the American Cancer Society (ACS) changing their recommendations to lower the screening age from 50 to 45 years old. They recommend people with an average risk for colorectal cancer can use a stool test which looks for blood or get a screening colonoscopy. If you have a strong family history of colorectal cancer, the ACS recommends screening may need to start sooner than 45 years old.

Lung Cancer

Stop smoking. This is the number one risk factor for lung cancer, although a very small portion of new lung cancer diagnoses are in people who did not smoke.

Lung cancer screening in high-risk people, those who have smoked at least 30 packs per year, and either currently smoke or quit in the last 15 years should start occurring around age 65 years old. Ask your healthcare provider if you need a CT scan of the chest.

Skin Cancer

Wear sunblock of at least 30 SPF, stay out of the sun during the peak times of sun (10 a.m.-3 p.m.), long sleeves and long pants with the SPF fabrics, as well as good hat coverage will be really important.

Unintentional injuries

This is the catch-all for traumatic injuries that were not planned, like head trauma, accidents (e.g. car, motorcycle, bike), drownings, or penetrating trauma (e.g. stabbings, gunshot wounds). Prevention is key here. Simple tips can make a huge difference.

  • Wear a helmet.
  • Wear your seat belt.
  • If you drink, drink safely and be careful.
  • Don’t drink and drive/bike or swim!
  • Make sure you know how to swim.
  • If you are headed out on open water, wear a life jacket.

Follow 9NEWS Medical Expert Dr. Comilla Sasson on Facebook and Twitter. Have a medical question or health topic idea? Email Dr. Comilla at comilla.sasson@9news.com

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