Men's Health Archive

Muscle health pays big premiums if you work to build endurance and power as well as strength.

For a mature man, muscle health is important for reasons that go way beyond just looking buff on the beach. Strong, coordinated muscles allow you to keep doing the healthy exercise and other activities you enjoy to remain vital and independent.

Over the past decade, ads touting testosterone therapy to treat low energy and a flagging libido in men have fueled a rapid rise in prescriptions for the hormone. Short-term studies suggest that testosterone therapy boosts bone mass, strength, and sexual function and improves some markers of heart disease risk. But concerns about the long-term safety of testosterone treatment (available as a gel, patch, or shot) linger, particularly after a 2010 study of testosterone in frail, older men was stopped early because of cardiovascular problems among the testosterone users.

Now, findings from a study of 8,700 male veterans with low testosterone add to the concern. Men who used testosterone therapy had a 30% higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over a three-year period than men who didn't use testosterone. The men, who were in their early 60s on average, had all undergone a heart imaging test, and most had risk factors for heart problems. Testosterone might boost heart risks by encouraging the formation of dangerous blood clots, say the authors, whose article appeared in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Not all carbohydrate-rich foods are created equal. Here's how to identify healthy carbs and add get more of them

If you've heard that carbs are "bad" for you, think again. Carbohydrate-rich foods are the foundation of a healthy diet—but some are more healthy than others. "High-quality carbs have essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in a natural 'package' that limits fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin that contribute, at least in part, to chronic illness and overeating," says Dr. Michelle Hauser, a clinical fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a certified chef and nutrition educator.

Add strengthening exercises to your regular workout. They also help to recondition stiff and painful shoulders.

The shoulders are extraordinarily flexible and have many moving parts, but this also leaves them vulnerable to the effects of disuse. "The shoulder joint has very few bony constraints, so it's happiest when it's moving a lot," says Dr. Matthew T. Provencher, chief of the Sports Medicine Service at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. You can keep your shoulders strong and limber by including some simple stretches and strengthening moves in your regular workout.

Men who eat a Mediterranean-style diet are less likely to suffer from strokes, depression, and declining mental function in older age, according to a study in Annals of Neurology. The study pooled the findings of 22 different studies, including 11 on Mediterranean eating and stroke risk.

A Mediterranean diet calls for is getting most of your daily calories from a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds, along with moderate fish, poultry, eggs, and olive oil and minimal red and processed meat and saturated fats. For those who imbibe, a modest amount of red wine with meals can be included to cap off the heart-healthy benefits.

Mass marketing of testosterone therapy may have men eager to try this seemingly simple fix. But the latest science should have them scratching their heads and putting away the credit card—at least for now. A new study published in the online journal PLOS One shows an increase in the risk of having a heart attack in the months after starting testosterone therapy. The potential for danger was highest in older men. A report in the November 6, 2013, issue of JAMA showed that men who used testosterone therapy didn’t fare as well after artery-opening angioplasty as men who didn’t take testosterone. Neither was the type of study that can prove cause and effect. They can only show associations, or links. That means there’s no smoking gun here that testosterone therapy is harmful. But the studies do suggest caution. Given the uncertainly over the benefits and risks of testosterone therapy, what’s a man to do? Take a cautious approach, advises the Harvard Men’s Health Watch.

The marketing of therapy for low testosterone highlights the short-term benefits but serious concerns remain about possible long-term risks. Men should understand the unknowns about testosterone therapy and consider alternatives before starting on it.

Q. I'm a healthy 58-year-old man recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. My doctor prescribed metoprolol, and my blood pressure is now in the normal range. But I've started having trouble getting an erection. Could the medication be causing this problem, and if so, is there anything I can do about it?

A. Metoprolol belongs to a class of drugs known as beta blockers, which make the heart beat slower and with less force. In the past, doctors prescribed beta blockers as a first-choice treatment for high blood pressure.