Men's Health Archive

Fewer men than women live to 100, but the men who do tend to be healthier, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Researchers sorted through primary care health records of over 11,000 men and women in the United Kingdom who reached age 100 between 1990 and 2013. They hoped this would provide a more representative look at the health of the oldest people in the population than earlier studies have offered.

As expected, more women than men became centenarians during this period: about 9,000 versus 2,100. However, under the current concept of "successful aging," quality of life is more highly valued than simply the number of life years racked up. So the researchers took a close look at the records for evidence of so-called geriatric syndromes—health problems that are common in older people. These include falls, hip and spine fractures, dementia, and hearing or vision loss.

If you’re a man, you’ve undoubtedly heard that lack of energy or sex drive, trouble concentrating, or feeling down or not quite yourself could be related to low testosterone, or “low T” — and that a little testosterone replacement could have you back on your game. But testosterone replacement is tricky business, and its safety and effectiveness remain controversial. Further, there can be many other causes for the symptoms of “low T.” A thorough evaluation to determine whether low testosterone is really the problem, along with a careful weighing of the potential risks and benefits of testosterone replacement, are essential before considering this drug.

Unless you have symptoms of a heart problem, taking a cautionary look under the hood is unlikely to help—and could even be harmful.

Men who want to live longer would be wise to remain physically active as long as possible, according to a long-term study of aging in older men reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

In 1972–73, the Oslo Study recruited nearly 15,000 Norwegian men ages 40 to 49. In 2000, the surviving participants filled out a survey about their daily physical activities. This included everything from couch-potato time in front of the TV to vigorous athletic workouts several times a week.

Q. I heard that there is a new stool test for colon cancer screening. Can this test replace colonoscopy for me? I am 68 years old with no history of colon problems, and my last colonoscopy was normal.

A. Among screening tests for hidden colorectal cancer, colonoscopy remains the "gold standard" because it's the most effective technique for detecting colon cancers and simultaneously provides an opportunity to remove any precancerous growths (polyps). The new DNA-based stool test (Cologuard) is less invasive and inconvenient than colonoscopy and finds more cancers and polyps than older stool tests, but it does not entirely eliminate the need for colonoscopies.

Early detection and proper use of eye drops are essential to preventing vision loss.

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness and is more common with aging. The condition affects peripheral vision at first, but eventually becomes more widespread. Treatment with daily eye drops helps to slow the process, but it's best to start early. "Glaucoma tends to be like a snowball," says Dr. Brian Song, a glaucoma specialist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. "It's easier to control it early than if you wait for it to build momentum."

An approach called active surveillance allows some men with low-risk cancer to delay the decision to treat.

Biomarkers are "chemicals" that can indicate both normal and abnormal processes in the body. One of the most famous is prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The PSA test, which detects abnormally high blood levels of PSA, has been used for decades to screen for prostate cancer and potentially catch it early.

There are two problems with the PSA test. First, PSA levels can tell you that something is going on with the prostate — but that "something" isn't necessarily cancer. High levels may mean other benign prostate conditions. Second, when high PSA levels do turn out to be the result of prostate cancer, the PSA level alone won't tell you which cancers are aggressive and need treatment, and which are slow-growing and can be managed more conservatively.

Q. I am scheduled to have my prostate removed and am concerned about the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) after the surgery. I've heard that taking an ED drug daily during my recovery could help. Do you recommend this?

A. About half of men lose some erectile function after radical prostatectomy, which removes the entire prostate gland. ED drugs help men to have erections after surgery, but so far research has not shown that taking it daily produces better results than taking the medication as-needed—when you anticipate sexual activity.

Discomfort with intercourse happens to men, too. But most obstacles can be overcome.

To most men, an active sex life is essential. If you go by what you see in the health press, the only thing standing in your way is erectile dysfunction (ED), the inability to get and keep an erection sufficient for intercourse. The drugs approved to treat ED all work to a greater or lesser extent for most men with erectile difficulties, and there are other options if they don't.