MEN, KNOW YOUR RISKS

If you don’t have a regular source of healthcare or you’ve never had your cholesterol checked, you’re not alone. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly 26 percent of men in the United States do not have a regular source of healthcare. Reverse this trend with medical tests and screenings to keep you healthy.

Body Mass

Excess weight increases your risk for diabetes and heart disease. Your body mass index (BMI) measures your body fat based on your height and weight, and it can determine if you’re overweight or at risk for developing obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an adult BMI between 18.5 and 25 is within normal range.

Blood Pressure

If your blood pressure is high, you may require medication to control it and ward off heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. If your blood pressure is within the normal range, you only need to have your blood pressure checked every two years. Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg, according to the AHA.

Diabetes

Blood pressure higher than 135/80 mm Hg may be a symptom of diabetes. Testing for diabetes may include a hemoglobin A1C blood test, a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) test, or an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A single test is insufficient to diagnose diabetes. A second test must confirm that your blood glucose level is abnormally high.

Mental Health

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 6 million men are diagnosed with depression in the United States every year. Feeling hopeless or experiencing loss of interest in things you normally enjoy for more than two weeks may signal depression. Don’t dismiss prolonged bouts of feeling down or try to tough it out. Your doctor can screen you for depression and help determine how to treat it.

Melanoma

Melanoma is currently the country’s fifth most common cancer among men. More women than men get melanoma before the age of 50, but by age 65 the ratio reverses. Men then get melanoma twice as often as women. Check your skin every month for moles that have changed or look abnormal.

Bible Trivia

1. Is the book of Lamentations in the Old or New Testament? Or neither?

2. In 1 Timothy 5:23, what did Paul suggest to Timothy for his frequent ailments? Was it water, wine, bread or honey?

3. From Genesis 41:41-42, which Hebrew became prime minister of Egypt? Was it David, Joseph, Nehemiah or Joel?

4. Where did Jesus spend his youth as found in Luke 4:16? Was it Smyrna, Tarsus, Antioch or Nazareth?

5. Who was stoned to death in the valley of Achor? Was it Abinoam, Achan, Ahilud or Abitub?