3 Health Tests Every Man Needs

Prostate Exam

After lung cancer, prostate cancer is the deadliest cancer in men. Men over the age of 50 should have a prostate exam each year, but you should start sooner if you have a family history.

During the exam, a health-care provider inserts a finger into the rectum about 1-2 inches to feel for the prostate. It should feel smooth and symmetrical if it’s healthy. A prostate that feels irregular could indicate an issue that requires further testing.

Click here to learn more about preventing prostate cancer.

Blood Glucose Test

While death rates for cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer have been declining, deaths from Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise. Diets high in sugar have been linked to an increased diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Your blood delivers all kinds of rich nutrients to the brain. But if you have a lot of sugar in your blood, it can cause inflammation. This allows plaque to collect on your neurons, which are where you store your memories. The plaque makes it harder for neurons to fire off signals and causes them to freeze up. Eventually, they are prevented from talking to each other; the information those neurons carry can’t be transmitted or retrieved. When these synapses begin to fail, we begin to see the symptoms of Alzheimer’s. 

A fasting blood sugar greater than 100 puts you at a greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Click here to learn more about the connection between blood sugar and Alzheimer’s diease.