Routine Physical

Question: How often do men need a routine physical? My husband is 55 and hasn’t seen a doctor in 10 years, except once for stitches. I am concerned because his dad died of a heart attack at about his age, and there is a lot of cancer in his family. He says he doesn’t need to because he feels fine.

Answer: Unfortunately, your husband’s story is not unusual.

Studies show that one-third of middle-aged men don’t get the health care they should, usually because of fear or lack of knowledge, not because of finances or lack of opportunity.

Often these men are denying the fact that they are growing older. By not seeing a doctor, they think they won’t have to worry about health problems. Other men are just misinformed.

Many “silent killers” exist. Untreated high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes greatly increase risks of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and blood vessel disease.

Family history often defines the weaknesses in your personal health, by giving you the same health risks and tendencies your relatives had and often without any symptoms.

Lifestyle issues like smoking, excessive drinking, stress, obesity, inactivity and unhealthy diet quietly cause damage over the years. The damage, if longstanding, cannot always be reversed.

How do regular physicals help?

First, your unique genetic and lifestyle risk factors can be identified.

Second, testing, lifestyle changes and treatment can be instituted to reduce your risks. Third, you can identify common diseases such as prostate and colon cancer and high blood pressure, which may occur even without lifestyle or family risk.

Finally, your health improvement can be monitored to help you continue or work harder.

Healthy men should start physicals around age 40 (or earlier if they have health problems), and continue every 1 to 3 years after, depending upon health, risk factors and your doctor’s advice.