The Encyclopedia of Men's Health

401 Pages·2005·1.58 MB·English

by  J Housley

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
MEN’S HEALTH
Glenn S. Rothfeld, M.D., M.Ac.,
and Deborah S. Romaine
An Amaranth Book
Disclaimer:This book contains the authors’ ideas and facts/knowledge accumulated. It is intended to provide helpful infor-
mation on the subject matter covered herein. It is sold with the understanding that the authors, book producer, and the pub-
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book. If the reader wants or needs personal advice or guidance, he or she should seek an in-person consultation with a com-
petent medical professional. Furthermore, the reader should consult his or her medical, health, or other competent profes-
sional before adopting any of the suggestions in the book or drawing inferences from information that is included herein. This
is a supplement, not a replacement, for medical advice from a reader’s personal health care provider. Check with your doctor
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The Encyclopedia of Men’s Health
Copyright © 2005 by Amaranth
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rothfeld, Glenn S.
The encyclopedia of men’s health / Glenn Rothfeld and Deborah S. Romaine.
p. ; cm.
“An Amaranth book.”
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8160-5177-1 (HC : alk. paper)
1. Men—Health and hygiene—Encyclopedias. I. Romaine, Deborah S., 1956. II. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Health—Encyclopedias—English. 2. Men—Encyclopedias—English.
3. Health Promotion—Encyclopedias—English. WA 13 R757e 2005]
RA777.8.R68 2005
613'.04234'03—dc22 2003027473
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Text and cover design by Cathy Rincon
Printed in the United States of America
VB TECHBOOKS 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
CONTENTS
Introduction v
Entries A–Z 1
Appendixes 347
Selected Bibliography and Further Reading 363
Index 365

INTRODUCTION
Much has changed in the 30 years I have prac- tion: until the latter part of the 20th century a
ticed medicine, though perhaps no change man’s life expectancy extended only to the late 60s
has been as significant as our collective attitude or early 70s. As men are living longer, they want to
toward health. The technological knowledge and live better and are making great strides in improv-
innovations that marked the latter decades of the ing their health. Cigarette smoking, for example, is
20th century have made it possible for us to repair a leading cause of heart disease and cancer, the two
damaged hearts, cure many forms of cancer, and most significant health conditions American men
even replace diseased organs. Men today can expect face. Nearly 60 percent of American men were
to live a third as long as did their grandfathers. Yet smokers in 1970; today fewer than one in four
swirling from the core of these amazing advances is men in the United States smoke. Men are improv-
the growing recognition among many physicians, ing their lifestyles in other ways too, through
including me, that technology alone is not the healthier eating habits and increased physical exer-
answer when it comes to good health. Good health cise. In my practice today, I am far more likely to
comes from good health care—not only from the hear, “Doctor, what can I do to stay healthy?” than
care physicians can provide, but also from caring for hear, “Doctor, what can you do to fix me?”
one’s own health and well-being. Good health is an My medical education at the State University of
integration of technology and lifestyle. New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Harvard
I recognized early in my medical career that for University School of Medicine’s Channing Labora-
as much as we benefit from the scope and breadth tory provided me with the best of Western knowl-
of technology in the practice of medicine, there is edge. For the best of traditional medicine, I studied at
much for us to learn from the history of healing. the Traditional Acupuncture Institute in Columbia,
Medicine, as we practice it in Western cultures, is lit- Maryland, and the College of Traditional Chinese
tle more than a blip on the time line of humankind. Acupuncture in Leamington Spa, England. Today I
Healers have worked to improve the human condi- blend these domains in a complementary, holistic
tion for thousands and thousands of years. The key approach to helping people take care of their health.
lesson that endures is that the human body has a Such an integration is, I believe, the future of health
remarkable capacity to heal and to keep itself care and the path to better health for all of us. This
healthy. The methods that are most successful over- book, The Encyclopedia of Men’s Health,reflects this phi-
all are those that support this capacity. losophy. I want you, the reader, to know all that is
As our clinical knowledge of preventive health available to help you (or the man in your life) stay
care and health maintenance expands, so, too, healthy as well as to take care of your ills and injuries.
does the understanding among men that we can
influence the status of our health. Only with —Glenn S. Rothfeld, M.D., M.Ac.,
recent generations has this even been a considera- Medical Director, WholeHealth New England, Inc.
v

ENTRIES A–Z

A
A-B-C-D skin examination See SKINCANCER. pressure and lipid metabolism. The combined
effect allows blood pressure and blood lipid levels
to rise, causing a multifold leap in risk for heart dis-
abdominal adiposity A body fat distribution pat-
ease. The gene mutations appear to permit alter-
tern in which excess fat collects around the waist.
ations in the structure of the cells that line the
Although men tend to joke about their “spare tire,”
interior walls of the arteries, reducing their resist-
abdominal adiposity reflects potentially serious
ance to arterial plaque accumulations.
health issues. Abdominal adiposity often signals the
Men with a waist circumference of 40 inches or
pressure of INSULIN RESISTANCE, correlating to an
greater (measured around the waist above the hip
increased risk for various diseases such as HYPERTEN-
bones and below the navel) have the greatest risk
SION(high blood pressure), CORONARYARTERYDISEASE
for serious health problems as a consequence of
(CAD), INSULINRESISTANCE,and type 2 DIABETES.This
excess body fat. Health experts now consider
fat distribution pattern can show up in younger men
abdominal adiposity a more significant predictor
who are overweight or obese, although it has a ten-
for heart disease than any other single factor
dency to affect more men as they enter middle age
except cigarette smoking. Lifestyle changes that
and beyond. Men with abdominal adiposity usually
incorporate nutritional eating habits and regular
have BODYMASSINDEXES(BMIs)over 28, the clinical
exercise to lose excess body weight and body fat
marker for overweight, although they may not look
help to improve a man’s cardiovascular and overall
overweight.
health. However, predisposition toward a body fat
One reason abdominal adiposity becomes a
accumulation pattern of abdominal adiposity
health factor is that excess body fat does not just
remains a warning. The more body fat a man
form a layer under the skin that extends the waist-
prone to abdominal adiposity acquires, the higher
line but also accumulates around the organs in the
his risk for health problems, even more so than a
abdomen and chest. This puts pressure on these
man with the same amount of body fat who has a
organs, interfering with their abilities to function
generalized body fat distribution pattern. Doctors
properly. The heart must work harder, and ulti-
are likely to implement treatment strategies such
mately less efficiently, to get adequate blood supply
as lipid-lowering medications and antihypertensive
out to the rest of the body. The GASTROINTESTINAL
medications earlier and more aggressively in men
SYSTEMfeels the pinch as well, with problems such
with abdominal adiposity.
as GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISORDER (GERD),
HIATALHERNIA,and GALLBLADDERDISEASEbecoming See also BODYSHAPEANDHEARTDISEASE; LIFESTYLE
more common. AND HEALTH; NUTRITION AND DIET; OBESITY; WEIGHT
Although lifestyle (eating and exercise habits) is MANAGEMENT.
the key factor in body fat accumulation and weight
gain, recent studies suggest that gene mutations accidental injury An unintended event that
might establish this particular pattern of body fat results in bodily damage. Accidental injury is the
distribution, along with other disturbances that leading cause of death for men under age 25 and a
affect the body’s mechanisms for regulating blood significant cause of disability and death for men of
1