Unlike most guys his age, Barack Obama doesn't sport a gut -- in fact, he has quite the six-pack by the looks of recent paparazzi pics. Like most of his red-blooded American male counterparts, Obama is a passionate sports fan. And his basketball jump shot, also caught on camera during the election, is stylin'.
From all outward appearances, the 47-year-old Harvard Law School graduate looks to be in stand-up health, says cardiologist Chip Lavie, medical and cardiac rehabilitation director at Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute in New Orleans -- "as long as he doesn't take up smoking again," Lavie says. News reports have said Obama kicked the habit on the campaign trail last year but may still be struggling with it.
So what's the health outlook of other guys his age? Read on for a snapshot of how the average middle-aged man stacks up.
Hair: Much less than at 20. One out of three guys over 45 has male-pattern baldness, says Washington, D.C., cosmetic dermatologist Hema Sundaram. Ironically, age-related hormone changes speed up nose hair growth.
Sleep: One out of 25 middle-aged men have sleep apnea, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Hispanics and African Americans are more at risk for the disorder, typified by pauses in breathing during sleep and grogginess in the day.
Eyes: Don't worry, blinking and squinting aren't likely to be age-related tics. It's a good bet you're ready for reading glasses and eye drops, because dry eyes can be a problem after 40. Get a glaucoma check now, because it's more common as men near 50, says Duke Eye Center ophthalmologist Sanjay Asrani.
Ears: Wife complaining that you're cranking the Springsteen too loud? You probably are. A man's hearing wanes faster than a woman's after 40. Preserve it: Wear earplugs when mowing the lawn or working on a home-improvement project. And don't blast the iPod, says Duke hearing expert David Kaylie.
Teeth: It's unlikely your grandkids will one day ogle your dentures in a water glass on the night table. The introduction of fluoride toothpaste in 1961 is one reason why this generation's pearly whites will be longer-lasting. But don't forgo twice-a-year cleanings,
especially now that cracks and chips are more apt to occur, says dentist Matthew Messina of the American Dental Association.
Gut, and thus the heart: Most middle-aged men are overweight, says Lavie at the Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute. "Many are obese," he says, and a quarter to a third have metabolic syndrome -- a combo of risk factors including high blood sugar, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol stats and too much belly fat.
Heart attack risk:
For a non-smoker: 3%-5%
For smokers: Over 10%
The odds rise to 10% and 20%
after age 50, Lavie says.
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