Men's Health Archive

Two new studies add to the evidence that for many men with prostate cancer, if it is detected early and has not metastasized beyond the prostate gland, monitoring the cancer will lead to the same chance of survival after 10 as choosing surgery or radiation. Men treated with surgery or radiation often experience significant side effects. The rates of depression and anxiety were the same in men who opted for monitoring and those who opted for treatment.

Research suggests that raising good cholesterol beyond a certain point doesn't offer any extra benefit for the heart.

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When it comes to cholesterol, it's mostly about the numbers. You want less of the "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and more of the "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) kind. This combination is often associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Sounds simple—and it is, for the most part. But while most attention is spent on driving down bad LDL, you still have to keep your eyes on the good HDL, as some research suggests that after a certain threshold, higher levels don't offer extra protection.

The role of cholesterol

The ideal numbers

A majority of men do not talk about resuming their sex life after a heart attack, which may lead to sexual problems like lack of interest and erectile difficulties. Researchers say that before being discharged from the hospital, men should expect to have a conversation with their physician about when it’s okay to resume all regular activities, including sex. If the topic does not come up, men should take the initiative.

Throughout life, men seem to be twice as likely to have a heart attack as women. This risk appears to persist even after accounting for risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. 

Herbal supplements are sometimes advertised to improve a man’s sex life by increasing blood flow to the penis, but many are not proven effective for treating ED and may cause serious side effects.

Charles Schmidt A pair of new studies provides useful information to men facing challenging decisions about what to do after being diagnosed with early prostate cancer. Researchers tracked men for 10 years and found that virtually none died of the illness, even if they decided against treating it. Early prostate tumors confined to the prostate […]

Many products are designed to absorb water into the skin, keep it from evaporating, or both.

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If you grew up watching Doris Day movies, you may have assumed she was privy to skin treatments that weren't available to the general public. However, as she revealed in her autobiography, Vaseline (petrolatum) was the key to keeping her skin soft and smooth.

Things have changed quite a bit in the last 50 years. Petrolatum is still a popular staple, but there is now a dizzying array of newer moisturizers, many with a baffling list of ingredients on their labels. However, they all are designed to either add moisture to the skin or keep it there. Many do both. "Think of moisturizers as putting a barrier between your skin and the cold, dry air," says Dr. Kenneth Arndt, professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School and faculty editor for the Harvard Health Publications Special Health Report Skin Care and Repair (www.health.harvard.edu/SCR.)