FORTY. A NICE FIT
Nutritional and preventative care for men, ages 40-49.
So, you’re 40. You might not be as quick to get up off the floor, and maybe you opt for the golf cart instead of hoofing it around the course, but you feel pretty good. Want to keep it that way? Improving your health during this decade can significantly alter your next 40 years. As was true in your 30s, optimal health isn’t about waiting for disease to happen and then fighting to save yourself. It’s about taking charge of your health so it never happens. This page is dedicated to empowering men in their 40s with the knowledge to prevent chronic illness and make this decade the best yet.
Preventative care in your 40s is the best way to greet the coming years. Some things will change. You and your friends might start taking medications. You might notice more aches, lose stamina or even face a serious condition like heart disease or cancer. Hectic work and family schedules don’t necessarily let up during this time, keeping exercise and nutrition at the bottom of the priority list.
As developed nations rely more on food of convenience, and the quality of ingredients goes further down, it becomes more apparent that you are the only one watching out for the state of your body. Take charge of your health by thinking fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins. A decreased risk of cancer and heart decease was observed in individuals who consume just five fruits and vegetables a day. Spend time planning your diet. Evaluate healthy food options, and have plenty of them on hand.
The phrase, “Use it or lose it” grows truer with each decade. Many hormones begin to decline, including testosterone and growth hormone. Lack of exercise can hasten this aging process. Exercise benefits the body by stimulating hormones like growth hormone, which helps maintain our lean body mass. Without physical activity, the metabolism will start to slow and bone density will decline. Exercise is also one of the best antidepressants and an important stress reliever.
But working out doesn’t always work out. Along with lack of interest, many patients in their 40s have been away from exercise for so long, they’re too intimidated to return to a program. Consider classes offered at a local fitness club or look into working with a personal trainer for motivation. You can start with small time commitments and build. Exercise will be second nature before you know it.
History certainly has a way of predicting the future. Study your family’s medical history, paying particular attention to any illnesses or health conditions appearing in a relative in their 40s. Any cases of diabetes or obesity? Was anyone treated for cancer or heart disease? Knowing that you had a parent who had a heart attack at 45 is a great start to your prevention strategy. Take inventory so you can tailor your wellness program to your needs.
Several medical groups develop cancer screening recommendations. Always discuss options with your physician.
• PSA (prostate specific antigen). This is a blood test marker for the prostate gland in men. It’s not perfect, and a single test cannot definitively confirm prostate cancer. When reading, the higher the number, the more concern over the possibility of an existing case. More importantly is the trend of subsequent tests. If a test doubles from one test to the next, the concern for a growing prostate cancer is greater. Prostate cancer is not particularly common in this age group. Most organizations recommend screening with a digital rectal exam and PSA starting at age 50. Those with a family history of prostate cancer and African Americans should start at 40.
• Colonoscopy for colon cancer screening. This test involves having a scope traverse the length of the colon looking for colon cancer or its precursor, polyps. If polyps are found, they can be removed. Physicians usually recommend beginning this test at age 50. If a case exists in your family history, it changes to age 40 or 10 years before the age that family member was diagnosed.
Prevention also means collecting some laboratory information to identify potential risk factors for the future, such as cholesterol panels. Other labs are now available to help determine a treatment and prevention plan.
• 25-OH vitamin D (25-hydroxy vitamin D). The target level of vitamin D is at least 50 ng/ml. It’s worth knowing if levels are low, as vitamin D affects bone density, cancer prevention and brain health. Note that there are several types of vitamin D labs available, but the 25-OH vitamin D level is preferred. This nutrient is free from the sun, and inexpensive as a supplement.
• C-Reactive Protein (CRP). The test for CRP measures inflammation in the body. The result should be less that 1 mg/L. This is treated with fish oils, CoQ10, magnesium and vitamin D.
• Homocysteine. Homocysteine is a product of protein metabolism that we all have. The concern is if the homocysteine level gets too high, it can actually lead to blood vessel damage. High homocysteine levels have been associated with stroke, Alzheimer’s, macular degeneration and depression. The nutritional goal for homocysteine is less than 9 umol/liter. Higher levels can be balanced with higher intakes of B-12, B-6 and folic acid.
• Total and Free Testosterone. This test does not necessarily need to be done every year, but testosterone levels do start to become noticeably lower in your 40s. Testosterone is often overlooked, but benefits the heart, brain, bones, muscles and blood vessels. Low testosterone can lead to fatigue, brain fog, irritability and low sex drive. Unfortunately, younger males are showing lower baseline averages than previous generations. Goal levels for these tests should be discussed with your doctor but are typically around 15-25 pg/ml for free testosterone and 550-800 ng/ml for total testosterone. Units for the test can very from lab to lab.
• DHEA-Sulfate. This is the lab used to look at the hormone DHEA, which shares many of the health benefits of testosterone and becomes very important for overweight or diabetic men. Again, healthy males in this age group will not necessarily have to have this done every year, but should consider having a baseline for future comparison. For men, the goal usually starts at more than 200 ug/dl.
• Fasting Insulin levels. Insulin is the body’s natural hormone to help lower the level of sugar in the blood. It also provides insight to potential problems with blood sugar management. Adult-onset diabetes is the decreased efficiency of insulin to manage blood sugar. The net result is too much sugar in the blood. Before the blood sugar rises to the classic diabetic markers, the insulin levels will rise, demonstrating the early signs of the body’s inability to handle the sugar it’s ingesting. If the lab is above goal, you know that you are getting too much refined sugar. Ranges may be from 0-14, but try to keep your levels around 7 units or less.
• Thyroid (multiple tests that may include a TSH and Free T-3). The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone which affects mental sharpness, metabolism and energy production. Signs of deficiency include fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, constipation, cold hands and feet, and sugar cravings. Please see the PureHealthMD section on thyroid for more.
Any supplement regimen will be determined by your health history, lab tests, family history and your personal goals. Very few nutrients should be universally considered by all 40-somethings. The game plan suggested below is meant to form a base that can be fine tuned once the data from the family history and the lab values have been collected.
• Fish oils. 1,500-2,000 mg of EPA plus DHA, with food. Many Americans do not get 1-2 servings of fish a week, and can risk running notably low on omega 3 fatty acids. These healthy fatty acids provide tremendous benefits to the entire body, and are very safe.
• Multivitamin. A good multivitamin will help supply a base of the B complex, vitamins C and E. It also provides a mineral foundation, an area where many people are deficient.
• CoQ10. 50-100 mg. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that positive effects for so many different parts of the body. It is typically included in most anti-aging programs, and is one of the best general additions beyond fish oils and a multivitamin.
To be forever 40 and feeling great, use the information pages of specific illnesses on PureHealthMD to guide you to additional vitamin and prevention treatments.
Other Trusted Sources:
WebMD
American Heart Association
