Did you know that, on average, American men are more likely to live sicker and die younger than American women? This has been called “the silent health crisis in America” by Dr. David Gremillion of the Men’s Health Network, and it’s one of the startling health statistics for men being brought to the surface during National Men’s Health Week, which takes place this week, June 13-19, 2011.
Today, a special event is being held in Times Square in New York City with racecar drive Terry Labonte and health expert Dr. Harry Fisch to kick off the week. The theme is “Tune-Up Men’s Health,” with both speakers encouraging men to take care of their bodies the same way they take care of their cars. One reason is that women are 100% more likely to see the doctor for annual exams and preventive services than men.
In accordance with this trend, women outnumber men here at PatientsLikeMe. Out of our 106,453 members as of today, only 17,294 of them are men. That’s less than 20% of our membership. Yet in contrast, men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, injuries, stroke, HIV/AIDS and suicide.
So, in recognition of this disparity as well as Father’s Day on June 19th, we’d like to reach out to men today. Don’t go it alone. If you have a chronic health condition, join PatientsLikeMe to share your experiences, find patients like you and learn how to take control of your health.
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