St. Mary's Medical Center

Summer 2017

Spirit of Women magazine is a national publication presented to women by hospitals and their physicians. The magazine provides up-to-date, evidence-based healthcare information and promotes our hospitals as leaders in women's health excellence.

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2 0 w w w. s p i r i t o f w o m e n . c o m | S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 | S P I R I T O F W O M E N Men's Health If a man's risk of having a cardiovascular event is at least 20 percent, he's in the high-risk category. Encourage him to do what he can to reduce his risk. Use the calculator to see how his risk percentage changes if he quits smoking, for example, or loses 10 pounds. "Every 5 percent drop is significant," says Dr. Butch. "Maybe you should see a urologist" Like gynecologists for women, urologists are part of a man's comprehensive strategy for health maintenance and prevention. Urologists treat everything from urinary tract infections and male factor infertility to erectile dysfunction and hormonal imbalances, as well as prostate cancer. "Because we manage very personal things, I like to have the opportunity to establish a relationship with patients so they can feel comfortable coming to me with certain issues that might get ignored, such as getting up more often to urinate," says Dr. Philip Dorsey Jr., a urologist who is affiliated with Inspira Medical Center Elmer in Elmer, N.J. If the man in question is older than 40, urge him to see a urologist to get his prostate checked, particularly if he's at increased risk for prostate cancer, which will affect about 1 in 7 U.S. men during their lifetimes. The American Urologic Association doesn't recommend routine protein specific antigen (PSA) screening—a blood test that can help determine a man's risk of developing prostate cancer—for men younger than 54. But a man between ages 55 and 69 should discuss the benefits and limitations of PSA testing with his doctor and consider screening because a PSA check can be lifesaving, especially if prostate cancer tends to run in the family. Dr. Dorsey recommends that all men between ages 55 and 69 consider PSA screening, but says a baseline PSA test at age 45 is in order for men with at least one first- degree relative, such as a brother or father, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Similarly, a man with one or more first-degree relatives diagnosed with prostate cancer when they were younger than age 65 should get a baseline PSA at age 40, he says. "PSA testing needs to be a discussion men have with their urologist so that they can understand the benefits and potential shortcomings based on their situation," explains Dr. Dorsey. For example, more than 29 million Americans have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but 1 in 4 of them don't know about it because they haven't been tested. (A fasting blood test at the doctor's office can detect diabetes.) Because men tend to have less contact with the medical system, they are especially at risk. "If you catch and treat diabetes earlier, it's easier to control," says Dr. Carl Butch, affiliated with Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y. An early diagnosis can also reduce the risk of developing common diabetes complications, such as blindness. "Let's check out your risk for heart attack" Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States, and 1 of every 4 deaths is heart disease related. To help your favorite man reduce his risk, suggest that he calculate his 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke with the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association Heart Risk Calculator at www.cvriskcalculator.com. He can plug in his total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol and blood pressure numbers among other data, such as his weight. "Your risk score can be a powerful motivator," says Dr. Butch, who regularly uses the cardiovascular calculator app with his patients. Continued from page 18 PSA testing needs to be a discussion men have with their urologist so they can understand the benefits and potential shortcomings. – Dr. Philip Dorsey Jr., Inspira Medical Center Elmer (N.J.)

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