-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Dr. Adam Swisher holds up a flier about stroke and vascular screenings at UnityPoint Health - Family Medicine Second Avenue North. Swisher said young adult men should schedule annual physicals regardless of how they are feeling. The physicals can help prevent a variety of health problems as men age.

As boys become men, yearly visits to the doctor too often get put on the back-burner, according to Dr. Swisher.

Swisher said those yearly visits are key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and helping to prevent serious illness.

“That’s a focus we want to change,” said Swisher, who practices at UnityPoint Clinic Family Medicine — Second Avenue North. “A lot of times people don’t come in for checkups. That’s one of the biggest things they can do. After high school it seems they stop coming in for appointments. Everyone should come in yearly for an appointment, just for screenings.”

Certain conditions can be genetic, which is why Swisher said it’s important keep family history updated.

“Even if someone is 20 years of age,” Swisher said. “Coming in every year to get those checkups is important. A lot of times people think they feel well so they don’t come in for appointments. The idea is to keep you well. Coming in for yearly checkups is one of those ways.”

Swisher, a 2000 Belmond High School graduate, received his medical degree from Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center. He completed his residency at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City.

In 2011, he started his own practice alongside his wife, Kari Ocenasek, in Gowrie.

In 2018, he became medical director for UnityPoint Hospice in Fort Dodge.

Since February, he has been practicing at Family Medicine.

According to Swisher, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men. About 25% of male deaths in the U.S. are related to heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

When it comes to heart problems, Swisher said oftentimes changes in diet or lifestyle can improve those conditions.

“The number one killer for men is cardiovascular disease,” Swisher said. “Cholesterol is important for screening. We will do a lipid profile — what their bad cholesterol is and good cholesterol. We can tell people what their risks would be in the next 10 years. Things can be modified with diet and activity alone. Knowing their history and family history will allow us to make certain recommendations to lower the risk. Cholesterol can be familial.”

Aside from heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in men.

“With men, a lot of times we hear our number one cancer is prostate cancer,” Swisher said. “Screening for that is important. We utilize lab draws and a prostate examination. A lot of times those start at 50 unless patients have risk factors to start those earlier, unless they have a family history.”

The recommended age for colonoscopies has changed in recent times.

“Colonoscopies used to be recommended at age 50,” Swisher said. “Recently that has been changed. Now it’s age 45.”

Not including skin cancer, prostate and colon are the two most common forms of cancer affecting men, according to Swisher.

Getting regular checkups is key to prevention, especially for cancer.

“Most cancers are treatable if caught in those early stages,” Swisher said.

In terms of preventing disease, not smoking is something everyone can do to improve their health.

“Smoking is still pretty prevalent,” Swisher said. “Smoking increases risk for cancer, lung cancer. For patients with a history of smoking, it’s still a very high amount of patients with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).”

According to the CDC, men are more likely to be current cigarette smokers than women (About 15% of adult men smoke compared to 13% of adult women).

“It’s one of the leading causes of cost to our health care system,” Swisher said. “Identifying it and making sure it’s treated appropriately are ways to improve health as well as cost.”

Another health concern that has Swisher’s attention is mental health.

“Something else that really flies under the radar sometimes but has a high prevalence is anxiety and depressions,” Swisher said. “People don’t want to talk about their feelings or admit to things. What people don’t realize is that at one time in their life they probably have had issues with depression or anxiety or both. Those can affect you on a daily basis, they can affect your work, your home life and can have severe consequences if untreated. For guys, sometimes that’s our rough exterior but it can affect every aspect of our lives.”

Swisher said treating anxiety and depression isn’t always about medication.

“Patients can go on medications that help but doing things like exercise impacts it nearly as much as medication,” Swisher said. “Physical health and psychological health. We have to treat the patient as a whole. Their psychological health and their sleep and who they are is important.”

Swisher said a person’s mental health doesn’t just affect that person.

“For those screenings we ask questions about depression or anxiety,” Swisher said. “Something for men to think about is not only is having a physical good for them, it’s good for their family members because if we find things with their health that could impact their relatives.”

Diabetes is another common health condition.

“A lot of times people are not aware of the symptoms,” Swisher said. “We can modify lifestyle if things are caught earlier. Patients can change how they live, how they function, they can reduce risk.”

One final recommendation Swisher offered has to do with immunizations.

“Getting the immunizations, they think I won’t get sick or the last time I got sick was with a flu shot,” Swisher said. “Getting immunizations helps you and others around you stay healthy as well.”

Swisher has enjoyed practicing in Fort Dodge.

“Here I get to know my patients and oftentimes their family members or extended family,” Swisher said. “It’s that sense of community. That understanding. With what I do, I view it as I’m a part of somebody’s life. It’s more than just prescribing medications, it’s being part of their care, part of their life or being a resource for them. I like making things better for people and the community itself. That was one of the driving factors that led me down my career path.”