TMC PULSE

32 T M C » P U L S E | J U N E 2 0 1 8 Men are, in fact, more likely than women to have dangerous occupations. In 2015, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 4,836 fatal work injuries, a total that does not include active members of the U.S. military. Among the top industries that saw the highest rate of deaths per 100,000 full-time workers—including logging, fishing and piloting aircraft—most of the jobs were done by men. Behavior also plays a major role in mortality rates. "Many of the factors are simply behavioral and, often, what make men, men," said Brian Duncan, director of human performance at Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports Medicine Institute. "We encourage boys to be rough and tumble and adventurous and unafraid, probably disproportionately to females." Most male fatalities between ages 15 and 24 years are caused by reckless behavior or violence, including motor vehicle accidents and drowning, according to research reported by Scientific American. "Those kinds of adventurous behavioral things tend to trickle over into smoking or consumption of alcohol and then, in turn, accidents—whether it's a car accident, guns, a four-wheeler or ATV accident," Duncan said. "A lot of it has more to do with our psychology and not our genetics." Stephen Klineberg, Ph.D., professor of sociol- ogy at Rice University and founding director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, identi- fied one particular subset of the male population whose life expectancy is shrinking. "There is this whole phenomenon of middle- aged, white men with high school educations or less who are dying prematurely from the diseases of despair—suicide, drug addiction, sclerosis of the liver, smoking, obesity," Klineberg explained. "It's the one demographic in America whose life expectancy has shrunk in the last 10 years and it is because of the tremendous stress of losing a job—not being able to find a new job because you only have a high school education." Yet one recent global study suggests that the divide between life expectancy for men and women may be shrinking. Scientists from Imperial College London, col- laborating with the World Health Organization, considered long-term mortality rates and behavior trends to predict how life expectancy will change in more than 30 countries by 2030. Because men traditionally smoked and drank more than women and were involved in more traffic accidents and homicides, their life expectancy was shorter. But if male behavior continues to trend closer to female behavior, longevity rates for men are expected to improve, researchers found. Men can increase their chances for living longer if they focus on a healthier lifestyle, TMC experts said. "The good news in all of this is, if testosterone raises your cholesterol, you can watch your diet— and exercise improves just about everything," Dyer said. Duncan echoed Dyer's sentiment by adding that very slight changes to daily routine can have a huge impact on overall life expectancy. "Generally, the thing is if we just stop smok- ing and drinking so much, we could do a world of good. Walking has been shown to be the best medicine for anything, for anyone," Duncan said. "And if you can run, even better. You don't have to run a marathon or do an Ironman—you can do moderate to vigorous walking or running for 30 minutes a day. You will increase your life expectancy and reduce your risk of death. Your quality and quantity of life goes up." Make this summer a season for living life on your terms. Licensed chiropractors at The Joint help provide pain relief and preventative care, so you can live life to the fullest. Chiropractic can help with back and neck pain, joint discomfort, allergies, migraines and more. Stop by a clinic today! NEW PATIENT SPECIAL Consultation | Exam | Adjustment S 39 Value RELIEF RECOVERY WELLNESS ® No Appointments | No Insurance Needed | Open Evenings & Weekends *Offer valued at $39. Valid for new patients only. See clinic for chiropractor(s)' name and license info. Clinics managed and/or owned by franchisee or Prof. Corps. Restrictions may apply to Medicare eligible patients. Individual results may vary. © 2018 The Joint Corp. All Rights Reserved. West U (713) 588-0858 | thejoint.com 3177 W. Holcombe Blvd. Houston, TX 77025 MEN ' S HEALTH

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