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AskMen.com has put together a list of a few diseases that commonly affect men. Here is a sample. For more info check out www.AskMen.com

High blood pressure

What Is It?
With our rushed, high-stress way of life that at times seems like an unbreakable cycle, bad habits in eating and exercise can have negative consequences. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is serious business. As your heart beats, blood is pumped through your arteries and carried throughout your body. Having high blood pressure translates into stress on your arteries as blood flows through it.

Who is at risk?
Heart disease, for which high blood pressure is a leading risk factor, is the number one killer in the United States, as 25% of Americans have this condition. In their early 30s and around middle age, men are more likely to suffer from problems of blood pressure than woman. Even more specifically, African-American men tend to develop an earlier and more severe form of hypertension than Caucasian men.

Symptoms
If you don't exercise regularly, smoke, are overweight, or have a history of stroke or heart failure in your family, you are also at risk for stroke. The worst part is that hypertension is known as a silent killer; releasing no obvious signs that your arteries are in trouble until it is too late.

Solution
Here's what to do: Treat your body like you treat your dream Mustang in the garage -- with care. Needing no other reason than to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you should be hitting the gym, slamming back brewskies in moderation and cutting back on all things fried and high in sodium (salt).

There are so many alternatives in food and exercise that everyone can find a niche that suits them. You don't have to become a Richard Simmons-watching health freak, just health- conscious . Regular checkups with your doctor will also help keep your blood pressure rate in check.

The key is in preparing before the fact, but if you still have shortness of breath, pain or tingling in the extremities and left arm, heart problems may still surface. It is then that you must take the extra step of ingesting prescription medicine and changing your diet. High "primary" hypertension, like the one inherited from your parents, has no cure but can be adjusted to a normal level.

Diabetes

What is it?
Diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin (Type 1) or the body is unable to properly use insulin (Type 2). Insulin, a hormone, is necessary for converting sugar, starches and other food into energy. It is the fifth-deadliest disease in the United States and thus far has no cure.

Who is at risk?
7.8 million men (8.3%) have diabetes, and the majority are aged 40 and up. Those with a family history of diabetes, as well as individuals who are overweight or do not exercise regularly, may very well be set up for a scare. Certain racial backgrounds, especially Hispanics and African-Americans, are believed to be at higher risk of acquiring the disease.

Symptoms
Unfortunately, symptoms that are associated with diabetes are often confused with general feelings of old age. If you feel run-down, are often thirsty, urinate frequently, suddenly lose weight, have blurred vision, and notice it takes longer for small cuts to heal, take the signs seriously and seek help. Oftentimes, impotence is also a symptom of diabetes.

Solution
Although not all people with diabetes need medication, those with Type 1 diabetes may regulate their blood-sugar level with insulin injections. Those with Type 2 should take a medication called an "oral hypoglycemic agent," but all individuals with diabetes must make healthy changes to halt the onset of blindness, stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure. In most cases, weight loss plans are often implemented in addition to exercise programs, which improve important blood-glucose measures. Diabetes is known as a "self-help" disease because the improvement of the individual usually depends on his ability to make significant alterations in lifestyle.