Let’s talk about men: they put off care and get diagnosed late

• Men tend to suffer in silence, unlike women, who share their emotions and feelings.

July 2023.- Are men the stronger sex? The answer is yes when it comes to physical strength, but when it comes to health and wellbeing in general, statistics show that in 2021 men’s life expectancy was 71.81 years, lower than women’s 77.15 years.

They may run faster and lift more weight, but they are more likely to be affected by certain diseases that cause them to die younger than women. The main threats to men’s health are cardiovascular conditions, lung or prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, depression and suicide.

Dr. David Samadi, a prostate cancer specialist and robotic surgeon, explains that “good health depends a great deal on each individual; we all know a man who refuses to go to the doctor, skips annual physicals, eats too much unhealthy food, struggles to exercise or doesn’t get enough sleep.”

Added to this is the likelihood of lifestyles that, in the long run, put their health at risk, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, drug use, a sedentary life and being overweight or obese.

Is it possible that men go to the doctor less often when they are suffering physically and mentally, and that this leads to worse outcomes? “Yes, that is the case. Men have the bad habit of not looking after their health; they wait until they are so ill they have no choice but to see a doctor, which is why they often receive late diagnoses for things that are no longer treatable,” confirms the urology specialist at Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS).

“Women tend to take a more pragmatic approach and ask lots of detailed questions. If the patient comes alone, the consultation is much shorter than if he is accompanied by his wife or girlfriend, who usually bring a long list of questions,” notes the author of the book Let’s Talk About Men.

As director of the surgical programme at the HOMS Samadi-Homs-Robotic Institute, a centre with international certification from Accreditation Canada (ACI), he recommends adopting good health habits from a young age rather than leaving them at the bottom of the to-do list.

For Samadi, recognised as one of the best prostate cancer surgeons, “men who tend to say ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ are more likely, after their forties or fifties, to be diagnosed with a silent disease that could take several years off their lives.”

“They may become frustrated or distressed by problems with intimacy and end up being diagnosed with erectile dysfunction or low testosterone levels,” the doctor explains, noting that this is one of the main reasons many patients visit his practice.

Main threats to men’s health 

Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease account for more than 70% of all deaths worldwide each year. Men who take the time and initiative to be proactive about their wellbeing can at least get a diagnosis at an early stage, when these diseases are more treatable.

The term heart disease covers the various conditions of the cardiovascular system, including coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, heart failure, heart valve disease and high blood pressure.

Regarding prostate cancer, Samadi, who has performed more than 9,000 robotic laparoscopic surgeries on patients with prostate, bladder and kidney cancer, says every man should know that prostate cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer after skin cancer. It is important to have routine annual check-ups.

Lung cancer is linked to smoking as the main cause in about 90% of cases. People who work in metalworking, painting, industrial cleaning, baking, plumbing, welding and bricklaying can also be affected.

He explains that type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, whereas type 2 can, or at least can be managed effectively through new habits. 

Finally, Dr. Samadi states that, when it comes to depression and suicide, men are particularly prone to both. “They tend to suffer in silence, unlike women, who share their emotions and feelings,” he concludes.

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About Dr. David Samadi

He is the director of the Samadi-Homs-Robotic Institute at Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS), and can be reached for a free phone consultation on 809-399-0569. He has extensive experience in urology and men’s health and a tenacious dedication to the compassionate and successful treatment of prostate cancer.

He is rated as one of the best prostate cancer surgeons and, together with his team of professionals, helps men of all ages overcome their urological problems with cutting-edge technology and minimal side effects.

He developed the SMART surgical technique with the central aim of completely removing the cancerous prostate while improving sexual function and avoiding urinary incontinence. He has performed more than 9,000 robotic laparoscopic surgeries on patients with prostate, bladder and kidney cancer.

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