Men's Health Archive

Cereal fiber–from whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, barley and other whole grains–seems to offer more protection against heart disease and other chronic conditions than fiber from fruits and vegetables. The benefit isn’t necessarily from the fiber alone, but the natural package of nutrients that comes with the fiber. Processed foods, which are often stripped of their fiber and nutrients and then “fortified” in the manufacturing process, don’t measure up.

Health problems, or treatments for them, sometimes thwart sexual desire and sexual function. There may not be a quick fix for health-related sexual problems, but there are things you can do to enjoy your love life while taking care of the rest of your health.

The American Heart Association is predicting a big increase in cardiovascular disease over the next 20 years, fueled largely by the aging of baby boomers. Greater attention to heart-healthy living among boomers, their children, and grandchildren, could prove the AHA wrong.

Tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m., tens of millions of television sets will be turned on as Americans sit down and participate in that unofficial national holiday called “watching the Super Bowl.” For many, it’s an excuse to see funny ads and the half-time show and to eat (how many of those spanking new Dietary Guidelines will be broken?), drink, and socialize. But […]

The latest iteration of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans focuses on weight and lowers the recommended salt intake for African Americans, people with diabetes, and others. Beyond that, the guidelines don’t offer much that is new. And what’s in there is often spoiled by vague language.

Every man desires to live long," wrote Jonathan Swift, "but no man would be old." Much has changed over the centuries, but the desire to retain youthful vigor during the golden years has endured. Fortunately, modern medicine has developed a plan for successful aging. It includes getting regular physical activity and mental stimulation; eating right; controlling blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels; staying lean; building strong interpersonal relationships; and avoiding tobacco and other risky exposures and activities.

A wise lifestyle can help extend life and slow the aging process — but it takes effort and discipline, especially for gents who have started down the wrong path. So it's no surprise that men continue to look for a medicinal shortcut. One of the most tempting is testosterone.

Q. I am a 72-year-old male in excellent health. I have been diagnosed with a 3.7-centimeter aortic aneurysm. My doctor recommends an ultrasound every six months. Are six-month checks adequate? And when should surgery be considered?

A. I assume this is an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and that it was detected by a screening exam, not because you had a symptom such as back pain. Indeed, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening all men who have ever smoked and are between 65 and 75. The test is a simple, entirely safe abdominal ultrasound, and it need not be repeated if it's normal.

Think rehab, and you may conjure up the image of an athlete working his way back from a torn ligament or an older guy getting back on his feet after a total hip replacement. Penile rehabilitation is harder to picture. Indeed, it may sound more like a creative pick-up line than serious therapy, but it's a real, if unproven, program advanced by many urologists.

The problem

Before you decide that penile rehabilitation sounds like fun, remember that it's triggered by a diagnosis of prostate cancer. About 218,000 American men will receive that diagnosis this year, and all will face the difficult decision of what to do next. Some men will choose to defer treatment ("watchful waiting" and active surveillance programs). Others will decide to have radiation therapy (external beam radiation or brachytherapy with implanted seeds). And many men will opt to "get it all out" by undergoing the radical prostatectomy operation; it's a particularly good choice for younger men with life expectancies of over 10 years and aggressive-looking cancers still confined to the prostate itself.

My colleagues at Harvard Health Publishing and I have a mission: to provide accurate, reliable information that will help readers live healthier lives. We work hard to fulfill that mission, and the feedback we get from folks who read our newsletters, Special Health Reports, books, and online health information indicates we are on the right […]

If you watch football on Thanksgiving, keep the players’ brain health in mind. Alan Schwarz of the NY Times has been a dogged defensive end, in hot pursuit of this story. Read his latest contribution here. He points out that the National Football League (NFL) has been slow to assess penalties on players who take violent […]