women

Dr Rajeev Sood

national president

MHSI

stress

Dr Avinash Bhondwe

Dr Damodar Bachani

genetic

cancer

Ram Manohar Lohiya Hospital

mental health

prostate cancer

Dr S S Bapat

clinic

IMA national general secretary

the national

The growing fear gripping mortal men is that they may be more mortal than their female counterparts worldwide. And, going by the current statistics in India, men are living six years lesser than. “Before it drops severely, we have to act,” saidof the Men’s Health Society of India (), a clear indication that a national health programme exclusively for men is the need of the hour.With their longevity in the line of fire, experts in men’s health in India have proposed a men’s health mission to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, somewhat like the ones put in place for women and children. And, the state unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also decided to throw its weight behind the cause. “We are supporting this move and, very soon, we will be holding workshops and planning clinics in the state as well. Certain professions also factor in the early deaths of men, especially those who are doctors. They live 10 years lesser than the Indian population. The average age at which an Indian doctor dies has reduced to 55, which was 65 only a decade ago, all because of increasing lifestyle disorders and,” shared IMA’s vice president for Maharashtra,There were positive vibes from the Union ministry as well, with deputy commissionersaying, “Definitely, there is a rising need for a programme only for men’s health, given the increasing diseases and deaths reported in the male species compared to females. It has been seen that we lack education about health and proper lifestyle. There will be a discussion with the authorities next month where this issue will be tabled.But, before that, we will have to start a mass study on understanding the patterns of deaths and changes in lifestyle among men.”Twenty years ago, the death rate for men was two years earlier than women. A decade ago, that dropped to four and, now, men die six years earlier. “The very fact that we need a body like the men’s health society itself shows that we need immediate steps to improve the health and longevity of men. There are very few doctors worldwide who only specialise in men’s health and, given the psychological, physiological andchanges, we need doctors who will help find solutions to the increasing factors that are contributing to the early deaths of the male species,” stressed Sood, who is also a member of the Medical Council of India (MCI) apart from being the head and nodal officer at thedepartment ofand the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Delhi.He said that doctors have observed that men are becoming immunologically weaker by the day. Research into the cause of the early deaths by MHSI medicos revealed that the Y chromosome (in males) consists of only 50 genes that are deteriorating, whereas the X chromosome (in females) carries 3,000 genes. “Their genetic makeup itself shows that females are stronger than males. Secondly, we found that a one-day-old male baby is equal to a three-week-old female baby. This again shows that females are becoming healthier physically. Thirdly, when it comes to lifestyle diseases, women have a hormone named oestrogen that protects them from many illnesses, especially cardiac diseases. It is not the same with men, which is why there are many more instances of cardiac arrests in men,” Sood remarked, adding, “Other crucial factors are stress and the entire family depending on them. Not keeping control over their physical andcauses men to become even more weak, leading to several unhealthy habits and their fallout — lifestyle diseases. Moreover, andropause, which is largely ignored, also leads to deterioration and death.” Cancer majorly contributes to the mortality rate as well, particularly, he said.When contacted, Pune-based MHSI member, who was former president of the Urological Society of India, said, “It’s a rather grave issue. We not only need specialists but also clinics and awareness at a large. We have noticed that the possibility of cardiac arrest in men can be predicted as early as two years ago through their sexual behaviour. If he suffers from erectile dysfunction; this is a marker. Men need to be more open and seek help if they want to live longer.” Bapat will soon set up an all-men healthin Pune. “We are also designing modules for our doctors and will be conducting workshops to sensitise our fraternity to the immediate need of addressing this issue,” he added.Dr Prakash Gambhir, senior geneticist and former genetic head of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences said, “The changes in male species and their weaker immunology are topics to be studied well. This will give us an insight into the increasing deaths.” The MHSI has even proposed that the government should integrate the men’s health programme into the currently launched longitudinal ageing study of the Indian population till the final proposal of a national men’s health programme rolls out, Sood informed.Dr K K Agarwal shared, “We are preparing five to six modules to train all our doctors across the country, with suggestions that they be used while practising in their clinics and hospitals. We are also planning workshops this month to promote men’s health and reduce deaths.”Men will be men. Ifmen’s health mission kicks off soon, they will be so for longer.█ The very fact that we need a body like the men’s health society itself shows that we need immediate steps to improve the health and longevity of men