COLLEGE STATION, Texas — June marks the start of Men's Health Month, a time to encourage men of all ages to take charge of their overall health by implementing healthy living decisions.
“Men are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease or heart attacks than women are and that’s the number one killer if Americans and that effects men more than women and that adds some to the short lifespan,” explained Dr. Lon Young, Chief Medical Officer for CapRock Health Systems.
According to Minority Health, 63% of men of color report not going to their regular health screenings.
“Our minority populations are more prone to the risk factors of cardiovascular disease which is the number one killer so things like high blood pressure diabetes high cholesterol those things are more common with the minority population so it’s a number of things," said Dr. Young. "They are more prone to the illnesses that kill men at a young age and they're less likely to be in touch with a healthcare provider that can help them to manage those things.”
According to the CDC, construction workers are more likely to be male and over 50% of those workers are minorities. In fact, fatalities remain the leading cause of work related deaths, accounting for more than 36% of the total number of fatalities in the industry.
“Construction has the highest death rate of all the different fields so men that are in those fields should be particularly cautious and that’s another reason men have a lower life span because their work is often in a situation that puts them at risk it also puts wear and tear on their bodies,” explained Dr. Young.
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