Your Men’s Health Playbook

Your 40s: Adding new health plays
Starting in your 40s, it’s time to add some new healthcare plays—like getting screened for colorectal cancer and discussing whether prostate cancer screening is right for you.

Put colorectal cancer on the defense: Colorectal cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, according to the American Cancer Society. For men at average risk, talk to your primary care professional about colorectal cancer screening at 45—or earlier if you have a family history or colon cancer-related genetic syndromes.

“If you love yourself, then you need to get yourself checked out,” said CJ Stewart, former Chicago Cubs outfielder and Wellstar patient. “You can definitely take it from me—someone who was fearful of the process—that if I can do it, you can do it.”
 
Make smart prostate plays: Depending on personal factors, this may also be the time to start conversations with your doctor about your family history with prostate cancer, and whether screening with a simple prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test is right for you. Men at higher risk for prostate cancer may need to start their screening in their 40s. If you’re not at high risk, you can discuss whether screening is right for you in your 50s. According to the American Cancer Society, Black men have more than twice the risk of dying from prostate cancer than white men. This is an important reason for Black men to proactively discuss screening for prostate cancer with their physician.

Regular screenings can help identify if you might have prostate cancer, and if it may cause harm if left untreated. Schedule an appointment with your primary care clinician or urologist. Or if you’re at higher risk, contact the Wellstar Prostate Health Program for a personalized approach.

Discuss making smart health moves with a primary care professional near you.

Your 50s, 60s & 70s: Staying in the game
In your 50s and beyond, it’s important to maintain your relationship with your primary care health team, who can help you update your playbook so you can keep doing what you love in the long term.

Get defensive: It’s time to review your vaccine status, such as your tetanus, pneumonia and shingles shots.

Strengthen your heart: Ask if you need a heart screening (coronary artery calcium scoring) and discuss ways to lower your risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. for men, women and most racial and ethnic groups. There are easy, delicious meal options that follow American Heart Association nutrition guidelines for lowering your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Get ahead of cancer: If you didn’t talk to your doctor about prostate cancer screening in your 40s, now’s the time to consider if this is the right approach for you. And, men with a history of smoking should ask about lung cancer screenings. According to the American Cancer Society, Black men are about 12% more likely to develop lung cancer than white men. Low-dose CT scans help detect early-stage lung cancer before clinical signs or symptoms become evident. When identified early, lung cancer can be more easily treated and more frequently cured than later-stage cancers.

Staying mentally strong: Consider how you can stay mentally strong. Symptoms of dementia or late-onset Alzheimer’s—namely memory loss and poor judgment-making—may appear in your 60s. About 1 in 9 people 65 and older have Alzheimer's disease in the U.S., according to the Alzheimer's Association. If you or a man in your life show signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, your doctor may refer you to a neurologist for further assessment, to help manage the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease.

Schedule an appointment with a Wellstar physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant to help you stay in the game.

What about other conditions men live with?
Read more about how teaming up with your doctor can help you manage erectile dysfunction and sex drive alongside other health conditions that are more common for men.