HEALTH MATTERS
Hey Guys! Is Your Good Health a Perception or Reality?
Article by FamilyDoctor.org Editorial Staff
(BPT) - When it comes to health, perception is not always reality. This is especially true when considering how men care for themselves when faced with a health condition. In fact, while most men would say they are more focused on their health than they have been in the past, physicians report a different truth. This difference is especially concerning when it comes to treating chronic conditions, because failure to follow treatment regimens may lead to bigger health problems in the future.
Missed appointments and opportunities.
According to research from the American Academy of Family Physicians, which surveyed its member physicians, one in five doctors said up to half of their male patients failed to fill a prescription. In addition, one in three doctors said that up to half of their male patients did not take a prescription as directed. Four in ten reported that up to half of their male patients failed to follow up with a regular routine test when ordered for their condition. In addition, nearly a quarter of surveyed doctors said up to half of their male patients failed to show up for planned follow-up visits.
These missed opportunities come at a time when chronic conditions among men continue to rise. According to the National
"High blood pressure and high cholesterol have been called 'silent killers' for a reason...."
Ambulatory Medical Survey, diagnoses of three common, yet potentially severe, conditions all have increased year over year. The data shows that cases of high blood pressure (4 percent increase), high cholesterol (5 percent) and diabetes (2 percent) have all seen notable increases.
"People may not take these conditions seriously because they don't have any noticeable symptoms, and that's a big mistake," says John Meigs, Jr., MD, president of the AAFP. "High blood pressure and high cholesterol have been called 'silent killers' for a reason. If they