Masculinity really could be toxic.
A study has found that being a “man’s man” shaves years off men’s lives, in part because they are too proud to see a doctor for their physical problems.
Researchers followed 4,000 men with high blood pressure between ages 12 and 42, a condition that puts them at risk for heart attacks, strokes and dementia.
Those with higher masculinity traits were up to 11 percent less likely to take their prescribed blood pressure medications.
Researchers at the University of Chicago found that their need to appear self-sufficient and strong prevents them from seeking medical help and found that even after the person was diagnosed, they refused to treat their health problems.
This pattern means that men develop serious problems such as cardiovascular disease, which could have been avoided if they had taken their health seriously.
“We’re seeing how pressures to convey identity (whether rooted in gender, race, sexuality or anything else) impact health behaviors,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Nathaniel Glasser. .
“Fitting in and belonging is a complicated task, and we firmly believe that greater sympathy, empathy and patience from society towards others who undertake this task would be good for people’s health.”
Men who show more signs of masculinity are less likely to seek medical treatment, leading them to develop worse health problems.
It comes after new data showed that half of American adults have hypertension, and 40 percent of them are completely unaware they have it.
Glasser and his team analyzed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent and Adult Health (Add Health), which collected health information and survey responses from more than 12,000 people between 1994 and 2018.
Glasser said, “We are exclusively focused on self-reported behaviors, preferences, and beliefs, and the extent to which these reported behaviors and attitudes resemble those of same-sex peers.”
Men who exhibited higher traits of masculinity consistently emphasized their dominance and denied their feelings of vulnerability.
The ADD Health survey questions asked participants “if a doctor, nurse, or other health care provider has ever told you that you have or have had (high blood pressure or hypertension, high blood sugar or diabetes, high blood cholesterol, triglycerides, lipids or hyperlipidemia).’
Hyperlipidemia is a condition in which there are high levels of fat in the blood that can hinder the flow of blood through the arteries, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The study said it could be because masculine men are less likely to seek help from a doctor and the diagnosis could be hidden for years until it becomes something more serious.
Those who had shown signs of masculinity since adulthood were seven percent less likely to take prescription blood pressure medications in their 30s and 40s and 10 percent less likely to take diabetes medications.
A survey conducted by the Cleveland Clinic in TK found that 65 percent of men will avoid seeking medical help for as long as possible, citing that they are too busy, believe the problem will cure itself, or don’t want to feel weak. .
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of heart disease in men fell from 8.3 percent in 2009 and there is some evidence that they are starting to be more vulnerable than in the past.
There is a growing debate about the acceptance of men for their vulnerability and many have spoken about how they are pressured to be “tough”.
Glasser said, “Our hypothesis is that social pressures are leading to behavioral differences that affect cardiovascular risk mitigation efforts.”
He added that “it is worrying because it could lead to worse long-term health outcomes.”