Medicover
Doctors try to convince us that prophylaxis is key, and early detection of diseases increases chances for their successful treatment. At the initial stage of the disease, the treatment course is usually less aggressive and consequently the patient is not forced to quit work.
As many as 37.5% surveyed men indicated that it is the cancer they fear the most. Other dreaded diseases included stroke, heart conditions (including myocardial infarction) and cardiovascular diseases.
The "Work. Health. Economics" Medicover Report (surveying the population of 180,000 Medicover patients) shows, in turn, that the two-thirds of men at the age of 38 are overweight or obese, and every fourth man suffers from hypertension which leads to many complications in the cardiovascular system. Over 56% of males have above-normal cholesterol levels which may lead to early, intensified atherosclerosis and consequently, to a myocardial infarction or a stroke. These are the basic factors in the development of dangerous modern age diseases.
Two-thirds of men are overweight and obese. It is an epidemic. Unfortunately, slightly over 15% of men do smoke. It is a direct risk factor for numerous neoplasms, not just lung cancer, but also myocardial infarction and brain ischemia, that is stroke - explains Doctor Walewska-Zielecka, PhD MD, V-ce Medical Director for Clinical Affairs at Medicover.Despite this high risks, men hardly ever think of prophylaxis and they visit medical centers only when they feel unwell. Every fifth one sees a doctor once a year or even less frequently. As many as 36.5% of them have not had any routine check-up in the last six months. The ultrasound examination which can detect cancer lesions is skipped by every fifth man. And blood tests for prostate cancer were done by merely 15% of men. These statistics are slightly better for an age group of 60+.
The lack of time is a typical excuse for avoiding medical appointments. For this reason we encourage men to have their key routine check-ups included in the health screening package which allows for quick and effective examination. As part of the “Conscious Man” screening (“Świadomy Mężczyzna”), you can have the tests that may detect numerous conditions such as neoplasms, including prostate cancer, heart diseases and many other health disorders with as few as just two visits at a Medicover Centre - says Doctor Bożena Walewska-Zielecka.Men over 40 and 50 should consult their doctors and obtain professional advice on prophylaxis in order to prevent development of serious diseases.
The men over 40, especially if they live in constant stress, hold executive positions, should have a basic ECG test done - explains Doctor Bożena Walewska-Zielecka. To men over 50 years of age, we recommend an even wider health assessment, e.g. colonoscopy in screening tests against colon cancer. It is very important as these types of cancer, when detected early, may be fully curable.Apart from pharmacological therapy, a doctor should also advise the patient on what changes he should make to his life. A consultation of a dietician or a personal trainer can be helpful. Three fourths of men declare they go to gym not more than once a year, and the older they get the less frequent their gym visits are. Among people under the age of 40, about 30% go to fitness clubs at least once a month as compared to only 7% among men over 60.
Apart from regular check-ups, their lifestyle needs changes, too: they need physical activity, reduced alcohol consumption (beer in particular), and a diet, namely selection of products with lower fat content (especially animal fat), and more vegetables - says Doctor Walewska-Zielecka says.
