Men urged to look after their bodies as well as they look after their cars

Cancer care advocate John Wall welcomed 'a dramatic sea change' in attitudes towards men’s health. Picture : Eamon Ward

Men have been urged to be more proactive about their health, as a new men’s health action plan warns they typically live almost four years less than women in Ireland.

Men are more likely to die from heart disease and many cancers than women. The plan also highlights the five-year life expectancy gap between men in deprived areas and men in more well-off areas.

The removal of barriers stopping men from acting on health concerns, including mental health, is a key part of the HSE plan. It will also support projects encouraging men to make lifestyle choices.

Men also remain more likely to die by suicide than women, with new targets in the plan to help support men facing mental health challenges.

Skin cancer risks for construction workers and farmers, as well as lung cancer risks from smoking, are among key areas highlighted.

Cancer care advocate John Wall, living in Quin, Co Clare, spoke at the online launch of the HSE National Men’s Health Action Plan Healthy Ireland Men 2024-2028.

He urged men to take inspiration from how women approach health concerns.

“Consider the consequences of not dealing with something, consider the consequences of ignoring something not just for yourself but for your loved ones,” he said.

He pointed out men typically look after their cars very well, including regular service checks.

“Our bodies, on the other hand, we wait for something to go wrong,” he said. 

What we need to start doing — when we get past a certain age or if you have a family history or you just feel the need to do so — is get a health check.

He said these can be “the difference, in some cases, between life and death". Mr Wall welcomed “a dramatic sea change” in attitudes towards men’s health.

The plan warns “male life expectancy remains 3.6 years lower than female life expectancy [80.5 v 84.1 years]”.

Within the male population, it said “the life expectancy at birth for males living in the most deprived areas was 79.4 years, compared with 84.4 years for those living in the most affluent areas".

The main causes of death for men in 2018 were invasive cancers, 31.5%; circulatory system diseases, 29.6%; respiratory system diseases, 12.5%; and external causes of injury and poisoning, 5.7%.

“The risk of dying of cancer was about 34% higher for men than for women,” the report said.

While many men are aware of risks from prostate cancer, there is less awareness the biggest cause of cancer deaths among men is lung cancer, at 21%.

Most lung cancer cases are linked to smoking, with men more likely to smoke than women. Men are also more likely to binge drink, the webinar heard, which is linked to a number of negative health impacts.