Troubled at Heart
Submitted by Boys and Schools Blog
We talk a lot about the health risks that men face based on behaviors and choices–that is, the fact that men are less likely to see a doctor at the first signs of a health problem, or that certain ilnesseses (like depression) manifest themselves differently in men and boys. But another side of the issues in male health is the fact that the age-old stereotype of men as the stronger sex is more than a little flawed.
I’m not talking here about stronger in the, “how much ya bench?” sense. It shouldn’t be a revolutionary statement to point out that males have greater upper body strength than women and are generally physically stronger. (I say, “shouldn’t be,” because of course there are plenty of people that would get all worked up about that statement–as though there’s some kind of connection between physical ability and moral worth.) When I talk about the, “stronger,” myth, I’m thinking about general health. And, from facing higher risks of miscarriage and complications in utero to having a shorter life expectancy, health-wise, you can make a pretty firm argument that males are actually the weaker sex.
Take heart disease. It’s the number one cause of death among men, regardless of ethnicity. It’s also the number one cause of death among women, but not only do more men die of it, but men also tend to develop heart disease earlier and are more likely to die of it before age 65. For a long time, men’s health behaviors, from poor diet to avoiding doctors, has been blamed for the high rate of heart disease among men, but now research has indicated that this risk may be present from boyhood. A study to be published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggests that changes during adolescence (even among healthy boys) raise boys’ cardiovascular risk, while girls may be protected somewhat during their childbearing years. It’s truly startling to think that the risk for heart disease starts increasing even during what many would consider the peak physical period of young adulthood for men. Hopefully, considering the profound devastation that early death from heart disease causes men and their families, this study might lead to more ways to reduce that threat. But it is sobering to realize how vulerable the health of our strong men and boys can be.
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