Heart disease, cancer most common causes of death in men
Men’s health is the topic of the month. The two main causes of death for men in the United States are heart disease and cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control, combined, these account for nearly half of the deaths in American males in 2010. With such a high prevalence, these are very important diseases to monitor for and to treat.
Heart disease is a broad topic. It consists of coronary artery disease, heart attacks and heart failure. In 2010, heart disease was the leading cause of death in men. Coronary artery disease is essentially defined as blockage of the arteries of the heart by cholesterol plaques. Progressive worsening of this can lead to heart attacks. A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart stops and causes damage to or death of a portion of the heart. Heart failure is the gradual weakening of the heart that can cause fatigue, shortness of breath, decreased exercise tolerance and swelling. While genetics play a role in heart disease, there are also several modifiable risk factors that can be controlled, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and tobacco use. Your family doctor can help by giving you advice about diet and exercise, as well as advice and/or medications to help you stop smoking, decrease blood pressure and decrease cholesterol levels. Attempting to decrease these risk factors can help to keep your heart strong for years to come.
The second most common cause of death in men is cancer, with lung and colon cancers being the most common causes of cancer deaths in men. With regard to lung cancer, far and away the most common cause of this is tobacco smoking. Quitting smoking now will help decrease your risk of lung cancer and speaking with your doctor about smoking cessation options may be very beneficial. There is also smoking cessation counseling available. The Washington Health System offers lung cancer screening with low radiation dose CT scans. Colon cancer screening, usually via colonoscopy, is quite important as it can potentially detect colon cancer at an early stage or precancerous lesions. They can then potentially be removed before they worsen. A colonoscopy is a test where doctors look at your colon with a scope and camera. They can take pictures and remove lesions that are seen for further testing. The majority of people start testing at age 50 but may be sooner based on individual risk factors. Talk to your primary doctor for more information and referral to a provider who can perform a colonoscopy.
If you have any questions, your family doctor can discuss and work with you to determine the best course in decreasing your risks.
Zachary Cerini is in residency at Washington Health System. A Mon Valley native, he attended the University of Pittsburgh and Drexel University College of Medicine. After completing his residency, he plans to practice outpatient medicine.