Men's health Often heart disease & drinking

Robert Koch Institute presents report on men's health

17/12/2014

Men and women differ significantly in terms of health and disease.
This is from the comprehensive report „Health situation of men in Germany“ which the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has recently published. Thus, there would not only be great differences in life expectancy and disease frequency, but also, for example, in health-related behavior or the perception of disease symptoms.

RKI brings together comprehensive data and information on men's health
How healthy lives „man“? The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has recently addressed this question and has compiled comprehensive data and information on men's health in cooperation with the Federal Statistical Office and experts from science and practice. The key finding: Men and women are significantly different in terms of health and disease. On the one hand, this would affect the different life expectancy and frequency of illnesses, but there would also be great differences between the sexes regarding the perception and communication of symptoms, health-conscious behavior and the use of care services.

Women are five years older than men
As the RKI report shows, gender gaps are already apparent in the mean life expectancy, which, despite a slight rapprochement in recent years, is still lower for men than for women. According to the study, boys born today would grow on average 77.7 years and thus reach five years less than women. The proportion of deceased men is greater than that of women in almost all age groups, the report goes on. Here, however, there is an accumulation of certain causes of death, because while among men up to 34 years in particular accidents and suicide lead to higher death rates, 35- to 65-year-olds die more often than women in coronary heart disease and lung cancer.

Twice as many men affected by lung cancer
Accordingly, men generally suffer from cardiovascular disease more frequently than women, with coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease being the most common disease groups. According to the RKI, these would be favored primarily by risk factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and hypertension, which frequently often occur in concentrated form in those affected. According to the report, there were also marked differences between the sexes in the case of cancer. Although the number of new cases has increased since 2000 in both sexes, more men than women are still dying prematurely as a result of cancer. Prostate, lung and colorectal cancers are the three most common new cases in men, with lung cancer „by far the most common cause of cancer death among men“ is, the report continues. Here, the number of new as well as the deaths among men is estimated to be twice as high as that of women.

Women roughen and drink less
On the other hand, the men are less affected by depressive disorders - but it is noticeable that the suicide rate among them is still greater than that of women in all age groups. Significant differences to the disadvantage of men, however, there are the subject „addiction“According to the report, women continue to smoke less often and are significantly less affected by alcohol dependence. Nevertheless, men often rate their state of health more often than subjective „Well“ or even „very well“ on. However, since this often does not correspond to reality, according to the RKI it can be assumed that „Men have less symptomatic attention to physical processes and physical changes later than women thematize.“

Nutritional differences already recognizable in adolescence
Further clear differences show up on the topic „nutrition“, which, according to the RKI report, would come to light in adolescence. Already here, young men would be accordingly „tends to be unhealthier“ nourish them by consuming less fruit and vegetables and instead eating more animal foods, sweets, sweet drinks, and fast foods than girls of the same age. As a result, more men (two-thirds) are more likely to be overweight than women, with around half of them weighing too much on weight. (No)