One in five men will die before the age of 65. It’s a startling statistic, but one that doesn’t surprise doctors who know many avoid seeking help and ignore worrying symptoms out of fear of what they may be told and embarrassment about physical examinations. And there are those who simply dismiss early signs of a problem as being unimportant.
“Unlike women, men are less likely to be in touch with their doctor,” says NHS GP Dr Adam Staten.
“They aren’t seen regularly about contraception, they don’t go through medically monitored experiences like pregnancy or have regular invasive tests like smears, so physical exams aren’t normalised for them.”
Men might also ignore health symptoms such as needing to pee frequently and difficulties holding an erection as natural signs of ageing.
“I’ve seen men play nine holes of golf instead of their usual 18 because they’re experiencing breathlessness, rather than talk to their GP,” Dr Staten, clinical director of online health firm One Day Tests explains.
“It means we end up diagnosing diseases later than we could have.”
Of the men who eventually see a GP, many say they made the appointment only because a loved one nagged them.
“I worry most about the men without a family member pushing them to seek help,” says DrStaten. “The longer a man leaves it to see his GP, the more complex things can become.”
So which symptoms should every man know not to ignore?
Postate cancer
Every year, 52,300 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, most in their mid-to-late 70s.
Rates have increased by nearly 10% in the past decade, according to Cancer Research UK, but 78% diagnosed early survive 10 years or more.
Symptoms include sudden changes in urinary flow, difficulty stopping or starting, dribbling afterwards, not feeling completely empty and peeing urgently or more frequently especially at night.
“While a gradual reduction in urinary flow as you age is normal, if you notice these sudden changes, have bone pain, or blood in your urine, see your GP urgently,” says GP Dr Jeff Foster, Men’s health specialist and author of Man Alive.
“Your doctor may refer you for an MRI and order a PSA blood test to check antigen levels, with a spike or severe drop possibly indicating prostate cancer.”
While PSA levels are sometimes clinically helpful, they do naturally and gradually rise as you age, meaning a test can give false negatives and positives.
Your GP might carry out a prostate exam to check for enlargement, asymmetry, or lumps, but if you’re nervous, share your concerns.
“Keep a close eye on your urinary function and if anything changes suddenly or you lose weight without trying, see your GP without delay,” says Dr Jeff. Most unintended weight loss should be a red flag, but a good guide is a 5% loss over three months, or 10% over six months. For more information, visit prostatecanceruk.org.
Bowel cancer
It’s the fourth most common cancer and more men than women get it.
Symptoms include changes in bowel habits lasting three weeks or more (looser stools or constipation), bloating, tummy pain, or feeling you’ve not emptied your bowels.
“Multiple episodes of bright red or dark blood in your stool over several weeks is another important red flag,” says Dr Jeff.
More subtle signs for bowel cancer in men are tiredness and weight loss. “We often catch men’s bowel cancer with an iron deficiency test, because it’s usually a result of bleeding somewhere inside the body,” he adds.
Men aged 60-74 can access the NHS bowel cancer screening programme via their GP every other year. The at-home test kits will also be available to all people in their 50s by 2025.
Over-75s can get a kit by calling 0800707 60 60. Around 2% will need further investigations.
You can also reduce your risk of bowel cancer by keeping a healthy BMI and avoiding constipation with a diet high in fibre, fresh fruit, and vegetables.
Meanwhile, smoking, alcohol, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle are the biggest risk factors, with people who exercise for 45minutes three to four times a week less prone. For more information, visit bowelcanceruk.org.uk.
High cholesterol
This and high blood pressure usually go hand-in-hand. It can gradually increase without symptoms, narrowing and damaging arteries across the body, risking heart attack, stroke and damage to the kidneys, legs or penis, depending on which arteries have narrowed.
“If you have a family history of high cholesterol, blood pressure, or heart disease, you should manage your diet and lifestyle even more carefully,” says Dr Jeff.
Everyone between 40 and 74 qualifies for an NHS Health Check every five years, monitoring kidney function, blood pressure, cholesterol, screening for type 2 diabetes and providing information about dementia.
It also may be a surprise to learn erectile dysfunction is an early indicator of heart issues. While psychological factors and hormones can lead to erectile dysfunction, the most common cause is a narrowing of penile arteries.
“If artery disease is happening down there, it’s probably happening in the heart, too,” says Dr Jeff. “If erectile dysfunction is due to artery damage, you’re more likely to have a heart attack within three years.”
Don’t be embarrassed to speak to a GP. They see many patients a day with the same issue and won’t bat an eyelid. Visit nhs.uk and search “erectile dysfunction”.
Type 2 diabetes
Known as a “lifestyle disease”, 4.3million Brits have type 2 diabetes, which causes high blood sugar levels. Symptoms include excessive thirst, increased trips to the loo at night, more hunger, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, slow wound healing and even itchiness around the genitals.
It’s different to type 1 diabetes, which usually begins in childhood when the pancreas stops working. Those patients need insulin for life.
“Men are at higher risk of type 2 because their weight gain usually sits in the middle of their body, they tend to eat less healthy, and drink more alcohol,” Dr Jeff explains.
Weight gain suppresses testosterone, increases oestrogen and promotes insulin resistance, slowing metabolism.
More than a quarter of adults are obese and another 38% overweight – with ultra-processed foods and larger portion sizes fuelling the problem. Ditching empty calories like alcohol, making healthy dietary swaps, as well as eating more fruit and vegetables, reducing snacking and keeping to 2,500calories a day (for men) will help.
“If you catch it at the pre-diabetes stage, lifestyle changes can prevent it progressing,” says Dr Staten.
Diabetes UK offers a simple, online quiz to allow you to understand whether you are at risk (go to riskscore.diabetes.org.uk). The NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme, known as Healthier You, refers at-risk patients in England for a nine-month programme to support lifestyle change.
Testosterone deficiency
Dr Jeff says: “Around a fifth of men in the UK will develop a testosterone deficiency and the numbers are increasing annually. This occurs mostly to men over 40.
“It’s hardly ever talked about as it’s become culturally accepted that men over 40 will get fatter, be more tired and want less sex.”
Some men will experience decreased mood, brain fog, and less effective exercise. Your GP can run a morning testosterone blood test to check and treat it.
“If we get the hormone treatment right it can be life-changing for men. By getting your testosterone levels back to normal, it decreases other health risks and improves bone density.”
