Congress created Men’s Health Week in 1994 to heighten awareness of preventable health problems among men and boys. This year, Men’s Health Week occurs during the dates of June 15-21. Subsequent campaigns have led to the month of June being declared Men’s Health Month.
And why is this important? Because, quite simply, men die an average of 5.4 years sooner than women. This is because men have a higher fatality rate than women for every one of the top 10 leading causes of death:
1. Heart disease (78% higher)
2. Cancer (34% higher)
3. Injuries (150% higher)
4. Stroke (12% higher)
5. COPD (43% higher)
6. Diabetes (23% higher)
7. Pneumonia/flu (48% higher)
8. HIV infection (318% higher)
9. Suicide (205% higher)
10. Homicide (253% higher)
The majority of these premature deaths can be prevented with the right actions and lifestyle choices. Be sure to check out the Blueprint for Men’s Health published by the Men’s Health Network for more details on how to successfully confront the main health issues that men face today.