Men’s Health Month: Common Heart Health Mistakes Men Make

June is Men’s Health Month, a month dedicated to bringing awareness to the various health issues that men face, including heart disease, one of the leading causes of death of men in the United States. While the causes of heart disease in men are attributed to various risk factors, there are many mistakes men make when it comes to their heart health. 

Here are four of the common heart health mistakes that men make. 

Skipping Their Annual Checkup

It’s been proven by countless studies that men tend to go to the doctor less often than women, especially for annual checkups. Many of the tests performed at these annual doctor visits help to indicate your risk for heart-related diseases and other conditions. These tests include cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 

Thinking They’re Too Young to Have a Heart Attack

When we often see men having a heart attack in movies or on television shows, the men are typically older. However, men (and all people) can have heart attacks at any age. If men have a family history of early heart attacks, they will be at risk for the same fate, even in their 30s and 40s. This, coupled with the fact that most men develop coronary artery disease at a younger age than women, means men have to be vigilant about understanding and recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack. 

Adopting the Fatalistic Approach

When you continually see relatives, friends and well-known people succumbing to heart-related diseases, it’s easy to believe that you will have the same fate. And, since men historically suffer from more heart conditions than women, many men adopt a fatalistic approach when it comes to their heart health. While risk factors such as age and gender can’t be changed, men can make lifestyle choices that lessen their risk for succumbing to heart-related issues…which brings us to the fourth mistake.

Not Making Healthy Choices

According to a study by Harvard University, women continue to outpace men in life expectancy. This is due to many factors including stress, smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, lack of exercise, diet and lack of routine medical care. All of these factors are also leading causes of heart disease. The unhealthy choices that many men make lead to heart-related diseases and, ultimately, death. This is why it’s crucial for men (and women) to make better lifestyle choices in order to live longer and healthier lives. 

Schedule an appointment with one of our physicians to learn more about your heart and how to keep it pumping for years to come.

Resources:

• Hopkins Medicine
• American Heart Association
• Luma Health
• Harvard University