No-one enjoys a trip to the doctor and all too often by the time we get help, it’s too late. A heart attack can seem to strike out of nowhere and the results can be devastating, even fatal. However, it doesn’t need to come as a surprise, it can be possible to spot the warning signs and take preventative action – and it’s much easier than you think.

Men are particularly bad at going to the doctor when there’s something wrong. And that’s one of the reasons that in the west, on average, we live 5-7 years less than women. Smoking more, drinking heavier and postponing that essential trip to the quack; there’s a heavy price to pay.

Whether it’s the hassle of booking the appointment and taking time off work, the fear that you might have to undergo a procedure you don’t like, or even the worry that you could find out that something’s wrong – for many men, it’s just easier to bury their heads in the sand. After all, if something was seriously amiss, you’d know about it already, right? Wrong.

Did You Know?

Coronary Heart Disease is a general term that includes conditions such as a heart attack and stroke, but it’s the number one killer in the UK. In many cases, largely preventable. The stats on Coronary Heart Disease are simply terrifying.

Did you know:

• every seven minutes a person will have a heart attack in the UK
• every 12 minutes a person will have a stroke in the UK
• 1 million men and half a million women are forced to live with the consequences of having a heart attack
• 600,000 men and another 600,000 women are forced to live with the consequences of having a stroke
• more than 1.6 million men and in excess of 1 million women are living with Coronary Heart Disease.

But Coronary Heart Disease doesn’t just leave you incapacitated following a heart attack or stroke.

Every year in the UK:

• there are 160,000 deaths from circulatory and heart disease
• Coronary Heart Disease kills 73,000 people
• there are 40,000 deaths caused by a stroke
• there are 42,000 premature deaths caused by cardiovascular disease.

The figures don’t make great reading. And for men, the prospects are worse with shorter lifespans and a greater likelihood of developing the disease.

But it doesn’t necessarily have to be this way.

Understanding The Cause

You might not be able to spot the warning signs of Coronary Heart Disease but a quick visit to the doctor might reveal a hidden killer; if you spot it soon enough it’s possible to treat and improve your odds. Prevention is better than cure!

Having raised blood pressure and/or raised cholesterol are two of the most common risk factors for heart disease. Most people have heard of both; whether it’s a margarine that promises to lower your cholesterol or government campaigns to do a bit more exercise. More or less everyone knows the importance of good blood pressure and healthy cholesterol levels.

There’s a good reason that blood pressure and cholesterol have been in the spotlight in recent years:

• A third of adults in England and Scotland have high blood pressure but almost half aren’t taking any treatment
• Half of coronary heart disease and three-quarters of strokes occur in individuals with a systolic blood pressure of more than 115mmHg (the top figure in your blood pressure reading)
• 11% of disease in developed nations is attributable to high blood pressure
• In the UK, one in 150 people may have hypercholesterolemia, a type of raised cholesterol that’s inherited. In individuals who are affected, the cholesterol rockets, doubling from birth.

So what are the symptoms of high blood pressure and raised cholesterol to look out for?

Unfortunately, this is where the problem lies. Unless your blood pressure has soared to extremely high levels or your arteries are already getting clogged up due to excess cholesterol, the chances are you won’t notice much wrong… until it’s too late.

One Simple Step

However, although it’s almost impossible to spot any early warning signs yourself, the good news is that it is still possible to take steps to prevent having a heart attack. And it’s so much easier than you might expect.

One appointment, once a year is all you need. You get your teeth checked out by the dentist, you even get your car checked out once a year with a MOT – why on earth wouldn’t you do the same for your own body?

A health MOT won’t take more than an hour and is all you need to set your mind at rest. A few simple checks can assess you for all kinds of potential problems including not just raised blood pressure and high cholesterol but also diabetes, thyroid disorders, vitamin levels, cancer risks, hormonal imbalances, kidney problems, and skin disease. The MOT can also check your sexual health and your weight and body mass measurements.

In short, a health MOT gives you a once-over that you can’t afford to miss. Even if you feel in tip-top condition, getting an annual check-up is an extremely good idea. It could even be the one single thing that saves your life.

Of course, you shouldn’t wait until your MOT if you notice anything amiss. It might be tempting just to shrug it off, or adopt a “wait and see” approach but you could end up regretting it in the long term.

Just like a car, you can’t roar into top gear unless your engine is running smoothly and you’re well-oiled!

Here at City Man we take men’s health seriously – and we want you to do the same. That’s why we’ve partnered up with some of the leading clinics, especially in and around the London area. Get in touch today to book your own check-up and to make the most of the special rates available.

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