Men's Health Archive

Active surveillance and watchful waiting are the most conservative — and increasingly popular — approaches to prostate cancer management. Is one of these right for you?

Over the years, the outcome for prostate cancer has turned out to be better than expected for many men.

While prostate cancer is quite common, the risk of dying from the disease is low, even without treatment. In fact, most diagnosed men will die from something else, like heart disease. Even so, prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths (after lung cancer) in men, according to the American Cancer Society.

In the journals

Need a sexual boost? Eat more nuts. A recent study found that men who added 60 grams — about 1/2 cup — of nuts to their daily diet improved several aspects of their sexual life. The results were published online June 19, 2019, by the journal Nutrients.

Researchers asked 83 healthy men to follow either a traditional Western-style diet without nuts, or a Western-style diet that also included 60 grams (about 360 calories) of a nut mixture made from almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts every day. A questionnaire assessed their current sexual function.

PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a daily medication taken to prevent HIV infection. While multiple studies show PrEP is effective, relatively few of those who might benefit are taking it. Will a 10-year initiative to reduce rates of HIV and a new formulation of PrEP help?

Communication between you and your partner can help create a happier and healthier love life.

You had your first sex talk when you were young, but now that you're older, it's time for another one.

"Men and women go through all kinds of physical and emotional changes as they age that can affect their sex life as well as their relationship," says Dr. Sharon Bober, director of the Sexual Health Program at Harvard-affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "These changes sometimes feel embarrassing or are difficult to talk about. But communicating about your changes — and your partner's — can help couples find solutions and common ground, as they enter this new and potentially exciting phase of their sex lives."

Treatments for advanced prostate cancer that suppress testosterone, a hormone (also called an androgen) that drives the malignant cells to grow and spread, are collectively referred to as androgen deprivation therapies, or ADT. These therapies can significantly extend lifespans in men who have the disease, but they also have a range of challenging side effects. […]

Some men with an enlarged prostate gland (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH for short) eventually start to experience urinary incontinence, the involuntary discharge of urine. The incontinence can be related to overactive bladder, one of the changes in bladder function caused by BPH.

Normally, the brain says "time to go" when your bladder is only partially full. That gives you a fair warning to find a place to relieve yourself. When you decide to let go, a valve called the urinary sphincter opens to allow the bladder to drain. Muscles in the bladder wall squeeze inward to empty the storage tank.

On call

Q. I've heard that calcium deposits can form in the prostate gland. What are they, and can they indicate cancer?

A. Calcium deposits can occur anywhere in the body; however, they often appear where there has been an injury, infection, or inflammation. Calcium deposits also can be seen with some types of cancer. When calcium deposits appear within the breast on a mammogram or in the lungs on a chest x-ray, their pattern helps the radiologist interpret the results. Certain patterns suggest possible cancer.

In the journals

Excess weight not only raises your risk of prostate cancer, it can also mean more aggressive and fatal cancer, according to a study published online June 10, 2019, by Cancer.

Scientists found that the accumulation of visceral fat (the hidden kind that lies deep in the abdomen and surrounds the major organs) and subcutaneous fat in the thighs (which lies just under the skin) were both associated with a greater chance of developing advanced prostate cancer as well as dying from the disease.

Avoid boredom and boost the benefits you gain from exercise with these simple tips to wake up your weight or treadmill workout.

Research shows that older people who are socially engaged and keep their minds active are more likely to remain mentally sharp. But what specific activities should people do? And does it matter if they start late in life or sooner?