Men more likely than women to get sick

Men's reluctance to visit the doctor may be having a significant impact on their likelihood to develop certain physical illnesses, reveals new research out of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, shows that men have a 14 per cent higher risk of developing asthma, hypertension, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder compared to women.

“Women tend to go to the doctor more often and men tend not to seek care as much,” lead author and medical sociologist Flora Matheson tells the Toronto Star.

Part of the study's findings can be attributed to differences in genetics between the genders, but Matheson suggests men make a point of seeing their doctor more often to catch and treat illness early on.

“Visit your doctor. Men who don't seek help to manage chronic illness risk lifetime disability, disease, and premature mortality,” Matheson tells Men's Fitness.

Researchers analyzed data from 15,000 Ontario patients between 2001 and 2011 from the Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Statistics Canada’s Canadian Community Health Survey.

The researchers also found that having a mental illness increases the risk of developing these same four physical illnesses by 10 times in both men and women.

Previous research from earlier this year suggests there are vast differences in the symptoms and effectiveness of treatments among men and women for major illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, liver diseases and osteoporosis.

For example, a common sign of heart attack in men is a constricted chest and pain that radiates through the left arm, yet women tend to experience nausea and lower abdominal pain.

How often do you see your family doctor? Tell us in the comments below!