Health experts: Men are the weaker sex, medically
WHEN it comes to health matters or medically, men are referred to as the weaker sex. They have more prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors than women, partially due to the protective traits of some female hormones.
According to the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), at 55.4% the risk of developing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is much higher for men as opposed to women.
The June 29, 2022 PHA “Usapang Puso sa Puso” (UPP) “Usapang Puso at Daddy: Men’s Health Edition” addressed burning questions and misconceptions regarding men’s wellness and insouciant attitude towards their general health.
Hosts Drs. Richard Henry Tiongco II and Luigi Pierre Segundo, PHA Director/advocacy chair and Communications co-chair, respectively, and their two guests–dr. Jonathan James Bernado, a cardiologist-vascular medicine specialists and Dr. Joffrey Sebastian Quiring, a psychiatrist, acknowledged that genetically, boys are more vulnerable than girls to life’s hazards that target their brains and hormones. The male problems start from the womb.
Compared with men, women have substantially higher levels of good cholesterol called HDL which protects against heart disease.
Obese women tend to accumulate excess pounds on their hips and thighs, while men store it in their waist so this abdominal obesity is more damaging to health, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke among men.
“Being a male in itself, age and family history are non-modifiable risk factors while hypertension, high sugar, cholesterol levels are modifiable risk factors,” Segundo said.
In further underlining the value of prevention, Bernardo added “watch your diet, eat wisely. One of the regular exercises that we recommend is walks 6,000 steps a day. Sedentary living, and an unhealthy diet as well as vices excessive alcohol, smoking or vaping, substance abuse, can all have irreparable, adverse effects on the cardiovascular health.
He also stressed the importance of avoiding self-diagnosing and prescribing, but rather, reaching out to your physician; breaking the stigma of men asking for help with regard to well-being.
The doctors also noted that most men are not keen on seeing the doctor or sharing their health issues. And even when they are under medication, they have the tendency to miss their pills. Almost all married men who are compliant patients let their wives take care of every detail of their healthcare.