Chronic Diseases and Men's Health

Men's health is an issue which has attracted increasing concern globally and some countries have designated the week leading up to Father's Day as the Men's Health Week to help increase the public's awareness of men's health. Some of the participating countries in Europe have set the theme for the Men's Health Week on chronic diseases this year, which comes to show the importance of chronic diseases to men's health.

Chronic diseases
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and respiratory diseases are now the major cause of global deaths and account for about 60% of global deaths annually.

In Hong Kong, chronic diseases are also the major cause of death. Figures in 2005 from the Department of Health showed that:

• Four of the top five killer diseases were chronic diseases, namely cancers, diseases of heart, cerebrovascular diseases and chronic lower respiratory diseases, which together accounted for 60% of the total number of deaths
• The age-standardised death rates of these four disease groups were higher in males than in females

Lifestyle and Chronic Diseases
Unhealthy lifestyle remains the major cause for many chronic diseases. According to the WHO, about 80% of cases of coronary heart disease, 90% of type 2 diabetes and one-third of cancers can be avoided by changing to a healthier diet, increasing physical activity and stopping smoking.

In Hong Kong, our figures showed that men were more likely than women to adopt unhealthy lifestyle, such as unhealthy diet, smoking and drinking alcohol excessively. It is thus obvious that there is much room for men to reduce the risks of chronic disease through adopting healthy lifestyle, so as to attain better health.

Healthy lifestyle can help prevent various chronic diseases:

• Not smoking - helps prevent some cancers such as lung cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, heart disease and stroke
• Healthy diet
  • Eating "2 plus 3" (2 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables) daily - helps prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers (such as colorectal cancer)
  • Less dietary fat (especially saturated fat and trans fat) - helps prevent heart disease and stroke
  • Less salt - helps prevent hypertension, heart disease and stroke
• Physical activity of moderate intensity for 30 minutes daily - helps prevent heart disease, colorectal cancer and diabetes
• Healthy body weight - helps prevent heart disease, stroke, colon cancer and diabetes
• Avoiding excessive drinking - helps prevent liver cirrhosis and liver cancer

"Healthy lifestyle or not?" - the choice is obvious. So guys, be wise and make the right choice!

We would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all good health and a happy Father's Day.

For more health information on healthy lifestyle, please visit the "Men's Life" section of this website.

(Last Updated on 13-06-2007)