2 Local Physicians Provide Answers

May 17, 2020

 

Dr. Angel Llanio and Dr. Indu Menon

Dr. Angel Llanio and Dr. Indu Menon

Scheduling a routine check-up staying up-to-date on vaccines (especially flu and pneumonia); and taking simple precautions to guard against germs, such as washing your hands often, exercising and eating a balanced diet are good ways for men to take care of themselves. Here, physicians Angel Llanio, DO, and Indu S. Menon, MD, discuss key health topics and concerns for men.

Q: What health issues are more prevalent in men than women?

 

Besides the obvious — such as erectile dysfunction and prostate cancer — coronary heart disease, lung cancer, HIV infection and Parkinson’s disease are all more common in men than women.*

Q: What is the biggest threat to men’s health?

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. The most common type of cardiovascular disease is coronary artery disease, when the heart’s blood vessels become narrowed or blocked.*

Did you know?

Noninvasive computed tomography (CT) Heart Score tests are available through Manatee Diagnostic Center to help identify heart disease in its early stages. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, call 941-747-3034.

Q: What other things should I consider?

Don’t forget to take care of your mental health as well. Stress, anxiety and depression are very common in men of all ages. Also, the highest rates of alcohol abuse are in men ages 25 to 39.** Excessive alcohol use can lead to injury, violence, liver disease and cancer.***

Q: What about older men? What screenings do they need?

The National Institutes of Health recommends that you talk with your doctor to find out what health screenings are right for you. Common screenings include:

  • Prostate cancer – Annual exams at age 50 unless you’re at high risk; then age 45.
  • Colorectal cancer – Colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 50; sooner if you have risk factors.
  • Diabetes – Screening every three years starting at age 45; sooner if you have risk factors.*

Angel Llanio, DO, is a family medicine physician with North River Family Health Center in Palmetto.

Indu S. Menon, MD, is an internal medicine physician at Lakewood Ranch Primary Care Rye Road in Bradenton.

For an appointment, call 866-515-9777.

*National Institutes of Health
**American Academy of Family Physicians
***Centers for Disease Control and Prevention