A Role of Family Doctors in Taking Care of Men's Health

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate, based on routinely collected data, the scope of family doctors work in the field of men’s health. Based on the Croatian health service yearbooks in the period from 1995 to 2012, we collected the morbidity data related to male urogenital disorders. The total number of urogenital disorders almost doubled, but the number of diagnoses related to the men increased fourfold, mostly among the oldest patentss. The number of prostate hyperplasia increased fivefold, again among the oldest participants. The morbidity from other male-specific diseases increased threefold, mostly in the age group 7-19 years. In spite of the increase in the number of newly diagnosed cases of prostate cancer, the percentage of the deaths stabilized after 2001. Men’s health problems are frequent sees and with an upward trend. We are not sure if this means deterioration of men’s health, or just indicates the problem of „overdiagnosis“.

Key words: mens health, prostate hypertrophy, prostate cancer, family medicine, Croatia