Heimlich Maneuver on an Infant

New aneurysm screening guidelines for male smokers

The aorta is the body's largest blood vessel. It begins at the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, heads toward the neck for a few inches, and then travels down the back of your chest and into the abdomen. The seven-inch stretch of the vessel in the abdomen is called the abdominal aorta. In some people, a section of the abdominal aorta may weaken and bulge, a condition called abdominal aorticaneurysm (AAA).

AAAs are more likely to form in people who have atherosclerosis or who have risk factors that can cause atherosclerosis such as high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, diabetes, or smoking. Abdominal aortic aneurysms are more common in men than in women, and this risk is heightened in men who smoke or used to smoke. Also, people ages 65 and older are at the highest risk for abdominal aortic aneurysm. AAAs also tend to run in families.

Osteoporosis in Men

As if there wasn't enough for men to worry about: Osteoporosis, the bone-thinning condition once considered a disease affecting just women, is now coming to light as an under-diagnosed condition in men. In fact, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2 million American men have osteoporosis and another 12 million are at risk for it. Men over 50 are actually at a greater risk for an osteoporosis-related fracture than they are for prostate cancer.

Osteoporosis has been largely overlooked in men for a few reasons. Men generally have larger and stronger bones than women by the time they are 30, when peak bone density is achieved. Also, men do not experience rapid bone thinning like women do following menopause. But, as in women, the bones of men start to gradually thin and lose strength after age 30. And bone density is affected by heredity, diet, sex hormones, lifestyle choices, physical activity, and the use of certain medications. So although men have a leg up on women in terms of peak bone density, they can still get into trouble if the conditions are right.

In the Journals

If you are worried about erectile dysfunction (ED), you might want to turn to the produce section. Flavonoid-rich foods may lower your risk of ED, which affects half of middle-aged and older men, according to a study published in February 2016 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Of the main types of flavonoids, three had the greatest benefit: anthocyanins, flavanones, and flavones. High levels of these natural plant chemicals are found in berries, like blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, as well as cherries, grapes, apples, pears, and citrus fruit.