Men are often reluctant to go to the doctor for fear of hearing bad news or looking weak but they need to “know their numbers” when it comes to health, a meeting heard yesterday.Rhonda Smith-Simmons, education officer for Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre, told Hamilton Rotary Club that it was crucial for males to get accurate, up-to-date information on health indicators such as their blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels and body mass index.“It's really important to see a doctor,” she later told The Royal Gazette. “I talked [to Rotary] about why men don't go to the doctor. Some don't go because they don't want to wait, they don't think it's necessary, they consider it a sign of weakness, they don't want to hear bad news.“In reality today, another major point is that healthcare is very costly and some don't have the finances. We offer a health voucher for men who are uninsured or underinsured to go to get a physical.”Ms Smith-Simmons said it was crucial for men to take charge of their health by having regular medical checks, including prostate screening from the age of 40, a colonoscopy from the age of 50, monthly self-examination of testicles, a skin exam with a dermatologist and two or three visits a year to a chiropodist.She told Rotarians that male life expectancy from birth in Bermuda was 76.6 years and that major health threats included being overweight or obese, smoking, having a poor diet and physical inactivity.The registered nurse pointed out that the ideal blood pressure was less than 120/80 and high blood pressure was a risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and kidney failure.She said losing just 10lb could lower blood pressure and some studies had shown that a ten percent weight loss could result in normal blood pressure for 90 percent of patients.Ms Smith-Simmons said: “This month we are celebrating Men's Health Awareness Month and this is a follow-on of our men's health screening day held on June 6.“I felt it was appropriate to talk about the importance of not just 'knowing your numbers' but also knowing what the numbers mean and how they affect one's risk of developing certain diseases, particularly heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, type two diabetes and cancer.“I encouraged the male Rotarians to support our 'Movember' event which occurs each year in November. It involves men growing a moustache during the month and getting family and friends to support them with donations to Bermuda Cancer and Health Centre.“The funds raised are used to fund our men's health programme, including the annual screening day and providing a health voucher valued up to $200 to be used by men toward the cost of an annual physical with the GP of their choice.”More than 200 men are estimated to have attended the June 6 health screening. The next men's event being held by the Centre is a free presentation on male cancers on June 21 at 6pm at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. To register, call 236-0949 or visit www.chc.bm.To see Ms Smith-Simmons's full slide presentation to Rotary, click on the link above under Related Media.Useful websites: www.cancer.bm and www.rotary.bm