International Men’s Health Week: Reducing the risks
This week for International Men’s Health Week, The George Institute for Global Health is drawing attention to some of the leading causes of death for men around the world.
Heart disease, stroke and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) take too many lives and this is a great opportunity for people in the community to reflect on the state of men’s health and change their habits.
Here are some simple tips for men to help improve their health and reduce the risks.
- COPD: Quit smoking
While there are many factors that cause COPD, the best course of treatment is prevention. Not taking up smoking and avoiding second hand smoke greatly reduces your chances of developing COPD.
- Stroke: Reduce your salt
There are the obvious high salt foods like chips, soft drinks and fast foods, but salt has a way of sneaking into many of our staple foods too, with bread, cheese, breakfast cereals and soups and sauces, containing relatively high levels of salt. The World Health Organisation guidelines for adult salt intake is five grams per day, about one small teaspoon, so opt for low sodium options instead to reduce your risk of stroke.
- Heart Disease: Regular exercise
Our heart is a muscle, and needs regular exercise to stay in form. Those who spend most of their working life sitting at a desk should take a walk on their lunch break, or do a lap of the office when they go to the bathroom.