Men’s Health

Medically reviewed by: Dr Chandril Chugh

U.S.-trained, board-certified neurologist

Men die younger than women in nearly every country on earth. The average gap is 5 years. Most of those deaths are preventable. The causes are largely the result of conditions that go undetected because men skip routine checkups at much higher rates than women.

What Are the Top 3 Men’s Health Issues?

The three conditions that cause the most illness and death in men globally are cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health disorders. Heart disease alone kills one man every 33 seconds in the US. Suicide rates in men are four times higher than in women. Both are largely preventable with early detection and lifestyle changes.

What Are the Top 3 Causes of Death in Men?

Heart disease and cancer together account for nearly 50% of all male deaths annually in the US according to the CDC.

What Are the Top 3 Cancers for Men?

Prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer are the three most common male cancers. Prostate cancer is the most diagnosed. Lung cancer kills the most. Colorectal cancer is the most preventable because colonoscopy screening detects it before it becomes dangerous. All three have much higher survival rates when caught early.

At What Age Is a Full Body Checkup Best?

Start at 35. That’s when cardiovascular risk markers, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels begin shifting in ways that medication and lifestyle changes can still reverse. Men with family history of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer should start at 30. Annual checkups from 40 onwards catch the majority of serious conditions before symptoms appear.

What Are the Routine Health Checks for Men?

Men with obesity, smoking history, or family cancer history start most of these 10 years earlier.

What Are the Signs of Low Testosterone?

Low testosterone affects about 2% of men, but symptoms are frequently dismissed as aging or stress:

• Reduced sex drive
• Difficulty getting or maintaining erections
• Fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep
• Loss of muscle mass despite regular exercise
• Increased body fat, especially around the abdomen
• Depression or low mood without a clear cause
• Reduced facial or body hair growth
• Brain fog and poor concentration

A morning blood test (testosterone levels peak between 7 and 10 AM) confirms low testosterone. Normal range is 300 to 1,000 ng/dL. Below 300 ng/dL is clinically low.

How to Increase Testosterone in Men’s Health?

Proven methods to raise testosterone naturally:

• Resistance training: Heavy compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, bench press) raise testosterone acutely and chronically with consistent training
• Sleep: Testosterone produces almost entirely during deep sleep. Less than 5 hours of sleep reduces testosterone by up to 15% within one week
• Reduce body fat: Excess fat tissue converts testosterone to estrogen. Losing 10% of body weight raises testosterone measurably in overweight men
• Zinc and vitamin D: Both are required for testosterone synthesis. Deficiency in either directly suppresses production
• Reduce alcohol: More than 2 drinks daily suppresses testosterone production in the testes

For clinically confirmed low testosterone (below 300 ng/dL), Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) prescribed by a doctor produces consistent results. Self-medicating with online testosterone is dangerous without proper monitoring.

How to Self-Check Your Prostate?

Men cannot self-examine the prostate internally. That requires a doctor performing a Digital Rectal Exam (DRE). However, men can monitor for symptoms that signal prostate problems:

• Weak or interrupted urine stream
• Frequent urination, especially at night
• Difficulty starting urination
• Pain or burning during urination
• Blood in urine or semen

These symptoms warrant a PSA blood test and DRE. Prostate problems are common after 50 and often benign, but the only way to know is testing.

Why No PSA After 70?

The US Preventive Services Task Force advises against routine PSA screening after 70 because the risks outweigh the benefits at that age. Prostate cancer in older men is often slow-growing and unlikely to cause death before other age-related conditions do. 

PSA screening leads to biopsies and treatments (surgery, radiation) that carry serious side effects, including incontinence and erectile dysfunction, which reduce quality of life significantly in men over 70 who had no symptoms.

Men over 70 with a strong family history or prior prostate concerns should discuss individual screening with their urologist rather than following blanket guidelines.

What Vitamins Do Males Need Daily?

Six nutrients men consistently fall short on:

• Vitamin D: Most men are deficient. Low vitamin D raises cardiovascular risk and suppresses testosterone. Target 2,000 to 4,000 IU daily.
• Magnesium: Supports testosterone production, muscle function, and sleep quality. Most men get less than 60% of the daily requirement from food alone.
• Zinc: Required for testosterone synthesis and immune function. Found in red meat and shellfish but commonly deficient in men who avoid these foods.
• Omega-3 (EPA and DHA): Reduces cardiovascular inflammation. Most men eating a Western diet get far too little from food.
• Vitamin B12: Absorption declines with age. Men over 50 frequently become deficient even with adequate dietary intake.
• Vitamin K2: Works with vitamin D to direct calcium to bones rather than arteries. Most people have never heard of it and almost no one gets enough from diet.

How Can I Get 100% of My Daily Vitamins?

Food first, supplements second. A diet built around the following covers most male nutritional needs without supplementation:

• Eggs (vitamin D, B12, zinc, choline)
• Fatty fish like salmon or mackerel twice weekly (omega-3, vitamin D, B12)
• Leafy greens daily (magnesium, vitamin K)
• Pumpkin seeds as a snack (zinc, magnesium)
• Beef liver monthly (B12, zinc, vitamin A, iron at levels no supplement matches)

For gaps that diet doesn’t fill, a targeted supplement stack works better than a generic multivitamin. Most multivitamins contain inadequate doses of key nutrients and poor-quality forms. For example, magnesium oxide (found in most multivitamins) has only 4% absorption. Magnesium glycinate absorbs at over 80%.

A practical daily stack for most men: vitamin D3 (2,000 to 4,000 IU) with K2 (100 mcg), magnesium glycinate (300 to 400 mg), omega-3 fish oil (2 grams EPA and DHA combined), and zinc (15 to 25 mg). Get bloodwork done annually to confirm what you actually need rather than guessing.