Why should men get regular checkups?

Regular checkups are key to preventing two major threats to men: heart disease and diabetes. Just because you haven't broken down yet doesn't mean there isn't trouble brewing under the hood. "From 20 on, we see a decline in all functions we can measure by 5% every 10 years -- your bone mass, your muscle mass, even your IQ, if you don't take some form of intervention," says Michael Roizen, MD, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic and cofounder of RealAge. Intervention -- in the form of regular checkups -- helps slow that decline.
 
According to David Katz, MD, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine, your 40s and 50s are when the neglect of the past decade or two catches up. "Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are rampant," he warns. "They can still be reversed, but only if you're going to the doctor and getting treated." And that’s a big "if." An Esquire poll found that 40% of men over age 40 have never had their cholesterol checked. The longer you go undiagnosed, the greater the risk of complications. High blood pressure can lead to strokes. Clogged arteries can lead to heart attacks, and diabetes can result in loss of limbs.
 
If that doesn't get your attention, consider this: Ignoring your health puts you at risk for erectile dysfunction. The same vascular diseases that cause heart attack, stroke, and memory loss also cause impotence, Roizen warns.

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