​​​​​​​​​As men, we don’t always make our health a priority. But getting on a routine maintenance schedule can keep you feeling great well into the future.

In a recent webinar, urologist Justin Cox, MD​, interventional cardiologist Sitaramesh Emani, MD, orthopedic surgeon Todd Kelley, MD, and family medicine physician Jordan Ryan, MD, teamed up to discuss men’s health topics, including screening tips, preventive care, and prostate, cardiovascular and orthopedic health.

Here’s what they say you should know to maintain a healthy lifestyle as you age.

Start with an annual exam

To maintain your health, you should start with a yearly wellness exam.

“The annual exam is one of the more important things you can do with your time throughout the year,” Dr. Ryan says.

Through an annual exam, you can:

• Build a relationship with your doctor

• Catch health issues early

• Learn more about your health

• Prevent disease

“Your annual exam is an investment in yourself,” Dr. Ryan says. “Come in and talk to your doctor, check your blood pressure, check your mental health, get screening tests. It’s a good way to take care of yourself.”

The annual exam and routine recommended screenings are also great for identifying what Dr. Ryan calls “silent killers,” such as:

• Diabetes

• Colon cancer

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Fatty liver

• Hepatitis

• Prostate cancer​​
  

Dr. Ryan says that healthcare goes beyond the medicines doctors may prescribe.

“It’s also important to talk about ways you can care for yourself,” he says.

He focuses on the six pillars of health, which include:

• Connecting with others

• Eating well

• Finding your purpose

• Moving more

• Reducing stress

• Sleeping well

In particular, Dr. Ryan likes to focus on exercise, as it can minimize pain from osteoarthritis and positively impact weight and mental health.

“It’s the key to living better, not just longer,” he says. “And it’s going to make any medicine you take, or any therapy or treatment you take, work better and more effectively.”

Take steps to protect your heart

Cardiovascular disease is the leading killer of men worldwide. There are many forms of cardiovascular disease, including:

• Heart attack

• Heart failure​

• Peripheral vascular disease

• Stroke​

Routine health maintenance requires you to identify your risk factors for cardiovascular disease and take steps to prevent it.

“All of these conditions can impact how long you live and, importantly, how well you live,” Dr. Emani says. “It’s important to know the cardiovascular risk you face as you age, but it’s also important to identify these risks early.”

Dr. Emani says good health starts with a prevention mindset.

“What can we do to ourselves, for ourselves and for those we love to help prevent problems as much as possible?”

Dr. Emani says it starts with the annual exam. But if you find you’re at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, you may need to visit a cardiologist.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease that you can’t control include:

• Age

• Family history

• Genetics

Modifiable risk factors—those you can control through lifestyle changes or medication—include:

• Diabetes

• Diet

• High blood pressure​
  

• High cholesterol

• Obesity

• Physical inactivity

• Smoking

Understand medications for cardiovascular disease

Doctors often use medications to help prevent or treat cardiovascular disease. Statins are a popular option used to lower cholesterol levels so your heart can work more effectively.

But statins aren’t for everyone, as they can cause side effects. “They are typically our main treatment option,” Dr. Emani says, “and we can personalize them. Through discussions with your healthcare provider, we can identify if they are the right treatment option for you.”

Doctors also commonly prescribe blood pressure-lowering medications to prevent cardiovascular disease. They can tailor many different types of blood pressure medications to each patient’s unique needs.

“Aspirin is another tool long held as an important medication to help prevent cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Emani says. “As a general rule, that still holds. But it’s no longer the primary or first-line agent because statins and blood pressure control are so good at reducing cardiovascular disease.”

Dr. Emani says it’s important to talk with your doctor or healthcare team before taking aspirin to determine if the treatment is right for you.

Your prosta​te is a gland the size of a walnut. It’s part of your reproductive system and sits next to your bladder.

Over time, your prostate gland can grow larger, affecting urine flow. Many conditions can also affect your prostate. These conditions include:

• Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)—Noncancerous, age-related prostate enlargement

• Prostatitis—Prostate inflammation

• Prostate cancer—The most common type of cancer in men after skin cancer

Symptoms of BPH and prostatitis are similar and include a weak urine stream and difficulty urinating. Prostatitis can also cause discomfort, pain and burning with urination.

Prostate cancer, when diagnosed early and limited to the prostate, is highly treatable and often curable. Advanced-stage prostate cancer is cancer that’s spread (metastasized) beyond the prostate. It’s not curable, but treatment can slow the cancer’s growth and reduce symptoms.

“One in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime in the U.S.,” Dr. Cox says. “That represents about 15 percent of all new cancer diagnoses. Early detection is key.”

Dr. Cox says it’s important to understand your risk factors for prostate cancer, which include:

• Age—The average age of diagnosis is 67.

• Diet—High-fat foods, including dairy and meat, can increase risk.

• Family history—Look for a close family member like a brother or father with prostate cancer or a mother or sister with breast or ovarian cancer.

• Genetics—Watch for inherited genetic abnormalities in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

• Lifestyle—Smoking and inactivity can increase risk.

• Race—Black men are more at risk for more aggressive prostate cancers at earlier ages.

The American Urological Association recommends prostate cancer screenings with a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test for men at average risk beginning at age 45. Men at increased risk should begin screening as early as 40. Talk to your doctor about screening recommendations.

Your PSA test score will determine if you need further testing.

Prostate cancer treatment

If you receive a prostate cancer diagnosis, you have many treatment options. Your doctor will base your treatment on your specific diagnosis.

Treatment options include medication, radiation and surgery.

“Some men have such a slow-growing prostate cancer that we can just monitor closely through a process called active surveillance,” Dr. Cox says.

His team also offers the gold-standard surgical treatment called robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy. This minimally invasive procedure used robotic surgery tools to remove the entire prostate gland. Surgeons can do this procedure by sparing nerves to preserve sexual function.

Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy uses small incisions and offers a shorter hospital stay, a faster return to regular activity and less time off work.

If you feel more aches and pains when you wake in the morning, you aren’t alone. It may be time to think about ways to get stronger and improve your balance to prevent fractures and falls as you age.

Fractures can happen at any age but are more common in older adults. And older people often experience hip fractures.

“Hip fractures are tough,” Dr. Kelley says. “If you break a wrist, we can put you in a splint, but if you break a hip, you’ll probably need surgery.”

But fractures aren’t the only problem Dr. Kelley sees in older men.

Back problems like herniated discs are also common. They occur when the discs between the vertebrae along the spine push on the nerves. Herniated discs cause pain and mobility issues.

“Sometimes, your body just needs a break. Rest can help decrease inflammation,” Dr. Kelley says. “Other times, we try physical therapy.”

He says over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines and certain medication injections can also help with pain control.

Everyday activities wear down the soft tissues around your bones and joints. Dr. Kelley says wear and tear or injuries to these tissues—your muscles, cartilage, tendons and ligaments—may require rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE).

You may also need physical therapy, braces, medicines or even surgery as a last resort.

When tendons get overworked and become inflamed, you can develop a condition called tendonitis. Related to this, bursitis is inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs cushioning your tendons and helping them glide. RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation), physical therapy, medications and injections can treat bursitis.

Inflammation of the joint is known as arthritis. The most common form of arthritis is osteoarthritis. It’s wear and tear of the joint’s cartilage, which covers the surface of the bone. Genetics, old injuries and excess weight can cause osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis treatments include:

• Lifestyle changes like activity modification, exercise and weight loss

• RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation)

• Physical therapy

• Braces

• Pain creams​
  

• Medications

• Injections

Surgery is the last treatment option for osteoarthritis, and it may include replacing the joint. Joint replacement involves removing worn-out joint surfaces and replacing them with metal and plastic parts. The implants replace the damaged surfaces of the bone, help relieve pain, restore mobility and improve quality of life.

“Most implants now last a good 20 years,” Dr. Kelley says, “and we have a high rate of patient satisfaction.” Frequently, patients say they wish they had done it sooner.

Rely on your support system

Staying healthy is a team sport. You need people around you to help you through tough times, give feedback and tell you how you’re doing.

A support system can also help you recognize subtle signs and symptoms of disease you may not recognize in yourself.

“Rely on the people around you, your loved ones and friends,” Dr. Emani says. “Often, lifestyle changes work best if you’re doing it in a group. Use the resources available to you.

You can stay healthy and pain-free as you age. Make yearly check-ups and screenings a priority and find support to help you look for signs and symptoms of health changes.

We can help you feel your best. Need help finding the right care now? Our ezCare Concierge nurse navigator can answer your questions and help you find the perfect match. Call 513-822-5287 or fill out this form to receive a call back.