June is National Men’s Health Month, to mark the occasion, CBS 21 Keonia Cole spoke with UPMC primary care provider Benjamin Greb about men’s health and the importance of preventive care.
Greb compared annual wellness visits to getting a car tuned up.
“You need to get your car checked out with a mechanic just to make sure there’s no mechanical issues down the road,” Greb said. “Same thing with getting a wellness visit. It’s really important for you to get your health checked out before things happen.”
Greb also discussed colon cancer screenings.
“Colon cancer is a big one that we like to evaluate because that’s something that we can catch early,” he said.
He said screening options include a colonoscopy and at-home stool testing that can be done from the comfort of your own home.
When asked about lifestyle changes, Greb said heart disease prevention remains a focus.
“The biggest thing we think about in health, in general, is heart disease. Heart attack, stroke. Those are the two big ones that we want to prevent,” he said.
Greb said diet and exercise are essential. He also discussed limiting sugars and sugary beverages, saying that reducing sugar buildup can help prevent diabetes.
