June 10, 2025 – Jacksonville, FL
It starts with a number: six. That’s how many fewer years men live, on average, compared to women in the United States. Six years gone, quietly, predictably, and often preventably. It’s a statistic that rarely makes headlines, yet it’s etched into obituaries, empty seats at dinner tables, and healthcare records across the country.
The reasons aren’t mysterious, men skip checkups, avoid hard conversations and tend to downplay symptoms until they can’t anymore. Culturally, they’ve been told to be strong, but not vulnerable, and capable, but not cared for. Time and time again, the outcomes show that this isn’t strength, and it isn’t healthy.
From heart disease to suicide, the leading causes of death among men have something in common: most could have been caught early or slowed down with the right kind of care.
The risks aren’t new. They’ve been quietly accumulating in the background of men’s lives for decades. Researchers at UC San Francisco and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health point to a mix of behavioral patterns, cultural pressure, and access barriers shaping the outcomes we now see.
This Men’s Health Week, the question isn’t just why the gap exists, but how to close it.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, the risk for cardiovascular disease is eighty percent higher in men than in women. That’s four out of five men compared to just one in five women – a staggering, preventable gap.
Some of that disparity is tied to biology as estrogen provides women with a natural protective benefit, especially before menopause. But most of the difference is behavioral, cultural, and systemic, not biological.
According to the World Heart Federation, up to 80% of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented through healthier lifestyle choices and early detection.
The same story plays out across other conditions. Melanoma, one of the most treatable cancers when caught early, claims far more men than women. Two-thirds of melanoma deaths occur in men. Not because their bodies respond differently, but because the signs were missed, or the screenings never happened. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 to 50% of cancers could be prevented if recommended screenings were conducted.
Another factor is the mental strain that many men carry quietly, regardless of age. While women are statistically more likely to attempt suicide, men are four times more likely to die from it. In 2023, nearly 80% of all suicide deaths in the United States were men and the rates were highest among those over 85.
These deaths are not random or inevitable. The stigma around vulnerability in men runs deep. It is the result of unspoken pain, untreated depression, and a lifetime of being told to push through, “man up”, and move on rather than ask for help. The impact is clear: men are less likely to seek therapy or open up to friends about their struggles or pain.
But the truth is, strength and vulnerability aren’t opposites, and opening up can be the most powerful first step toward healing. Silence may feel easier, but it’s what keeps men from the care that could save their lives.
Much like opening up, one conversation can change everything.
It doesn’t always take a diagnosis, a prescription, or a treatment plan to make a difference. Sometimes it starts with a phone call from a friend or healthcare professional who asks the right question and waits for the real answer.
Prevention begins with listening, trust and recognizing that asking for help is not weakness.
Models of care that emphasize early outreach, emotional support, and consistent follow-up are redefining what effective care looks like for men. From physical health to emotional well-being, continuity of care creates continuity of hope.
Because the earlier men are reached, the more they can be seen, heard, and supported – not just during a crisis, but throughout their lives.
Men deserve more than survival. They deserve strength that’s not defined by support and care that doesn’t wait for an emergency. They deserve to grow older with dignity, safety, and assurance that their health matters in every stage of life.
Men’s Health Week is a reminder and challenge to speak more openly, listen more closely, and act sooner because behind every statistic is a human who could still be here.
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