Thursday, July 10, 2008
Before my dad died in March, I might have brushed past the new health book called "Why Men Die First." I've always been aware that women live longer than men, but never fully considered why until an interview with the book's author this morning on the Today show.
My dad died suddenly from a massive stroke at age 76, leaving my mother (at a healthy 74), looking at years, if not decades, without the love of her life. My mother-in-law, at a spry 91, lives in an assisted-living facility where women outnumber men 15 to 1. She lost her husband over fifteen years ago.
So, what makes men more fragile, health-wise, than women?
According to Dr. Marianne J. Legato, an expert in gender-specific health, the deck is stacked against the guys while they're still in the womb. At birth, boy babies lag sick weeks behind girls in development and are more prone to disease and infection. Then - as mothers of sons know all too well - testosterone takes hold in their teens and 20s, causing high-risk behavior without the benefit of good judgment. Midlife brings increased risk of high cholesterol and heart disease, often combined with "closet conditions" like depression and anxiety.
The kicker is, because society has taught men to push through the pain and "suck it up," many are reluctant to seek help when normal aches and pains turn abnormal.
I suppose I knew this all of this stuff already, but recent circumstances have given me a glimpse into a world without men, and I don't like it. I, for one, am going to ramp up the nagging in my little world, and make sure the men in my life take better care of themselves.
Comments
femail (anonymous) says...
Good advice. I will too.
July 14, 2008 at 8:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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