Department of Family Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Int J Urol. 2011 Jan;18(1):32-42. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-2042.2010.02652.x. Epub 2010 Oct 24.
The aging man is becoming a major burden to Asian countries because of the current poor health status of Asian men and the aging Asian population. Life expectancy at birth for men is shorter than women by an average of 4 years in Asian countries and major causes of death are cardiovascular disease, cancers, injuries and infections. However, there are considerable variations between Asian countries because of great disparity in socioeconomic status. Male-specific disorders, such as male sexual health and urological conditions, are other major health burdens because they have a great impact on men's quality of life. More importantly, many risk factors to the causes of mortality and morbidities, such as high-risk behavior and smoking, can be improved with health promotion and early intervention. The current evidence suggests that the poor health status of men is the result of their poor health care utilization, negative health-seeking behavior, the adverse social environment for men and gender-insensitive health care delivery. However, much evidence is still needed as Asian countries have great diversity in culture, societal values and men's needs. Asian time-tested wisdom on a balanced healthy lifestyle to longevity should be explored as potential men's health promotional programs. Taking into account Asian men's health-care needs, a gender-streamlined approach and man-friendly health care delivery should be on the national agenda in managing the aging man.
由于亚洲男性目前健康状况不佳和亚洲人口老龄化，老年男性正成为亚洲国家的主要负担。亚洲国家男性的预期寿命比女性平均短 4 年，主要死因是心血管疾病、癌症、伤害和感染。然而，由于社会经济地位存在巨大差异，亚洲各国之间存在相当大的差异。男性特有的疾病，如男性性健康和泌尿科疾病，也是其他主要的健康负担，因为它们对男性的生活质量有很大影响。更重要的是，许多导致死亡率和发病率的风险因素，如高危行为和吸烟，可以通过健康促进和早期干预来改善。目前的证据表明，男性健康状况不佳是由于他们对医疗保健的利用不足、寻求健康的消极行为、对男性不利的社会环境以及对男性健康护理的不敏感。然而，由于亚洲国家在文化、社会价值观和男性需求方面存在巨大差异，仍需要更多的证据。亚洲久经考验的关于平衡健康生活方式以实现长寿的智慧，应该作为潜在的男性健康促进方案加以探索。考虑到亚洲男性的医疗保健需求，在管理老年男性方面，应该将性别化的方法和对男性友好的医疗保健服务纳入国家议程。
