At one point or other, most of us have said something like, “I’d give my left nut if I could….” That always seems like a pretty safe comment. After all, chances are pretty slim that we’d actually have to sacrifice a testicle for whatever it is we want. And even if we did, we’d still...Continue reading
Category: Mental Health
The Pleasure of Touch
Are any of these scenarios familiar? It’s bedtime. You’re tired. You crawl into bed, and your honey moves over to you and puts a hand on your thigh. Is this a suggestion for sex? Scene number two: You’re at the office at your desk. Your boss, who is of the opposite sex, comes over to...Continue reading
Why Does U.S. Expectancy Lag Behind Other Countries?
If you look at the raw data on life expectancy at birth in industrialized countries, you’ll notice right away that Americans are pretty close to the bottom of the pile. And while life expectancy in the US has increased over time, we haven’t kept pace with other high-income countries. The fact that Americans live shorter...Continue reading
Say “I Do” to Reducing Heart Attack Risk
Over the years, there have been a number of studies that show that marriage is good for men—that married men are generally healthier and less prone to a variety of illnesses than unmarried me. But according to a new study from Finland, it turns out that marriage is good for women too. In fact, wives...Continue reading
Keeping Your Distance: American Men Deal With Intimacy
Intimacy is a scarcity for American men –if by “intimacy” we mean revealing and sharing what is innermost about us. Few men live by this creed. Intimate connection becomes an abstraction, a nice idea, a frustrated lack. The typical American male can’t grasp intimacy, having precious little real experience of it. Just mentioning the word...Continue reading
As Your Penis Goes, So Goes Your Heart
If you’re having trouble maintaining an erection, print this post out and make an appointment with your healthcare provider. Researcher in Australia found that men who self-reported severe erectile dysfunction had a 35% increase in the risk of hospitalization for all heart-related diseases, and a 93% increased risk of death—even if they had no history...Continue reading
American Men (and Women) Have Shorter Lives Than Counterparts in Other Rich Nations
On average, Americans die sooner and experience higher rates of disease and injury than people in other high-income countries, says a new report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. The report finds that this health disadvantage exists at all ages from birth to age 75 and that even advantaged Americans — those...
Drug News: If You’re Taking Statins for Cholesterol or Beta Blockers for Hypertension, Read This.
Statin drugs are remarkably successful in reducing cholesterol for millions of men. They’ve also helped lower the risk of other cardiovascular events (such as heart attack and stroke). But, as with just about everything else in life, there’s the Law of Unintended Consequences. One of those consequences is severe muscle pain and weakness. And a...Continue reading
Literary Convention and the Slaughter of Innocent Children
As we try to absorb the tragic events at the school shooting in New Town, Connecticut, various sages have come out of the background to tell us what it all means, and what we can do about it. Gun control advocates – long ignored by our political leaders – have told us, reasonably enough, that...
Male Obesity is a Really Big Deal
Unless you’ve been trapped on another planet for the past few years, you probably know that obesity is a big, big problem in this country. And you also (hopefully) know that obesity increases one’s risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. But what you may not know is that obesity is an especially...Continue reading