Men's Health
Measurements and screening numbers relevant to men.
Several reference ranges are higher for men — hemoglobin, hematocrit and creatinine among them — largely reflecting differences in muscle mass and red cell production. That higher baseline creatinine is exactly why the eGFR equation carries a sex-specific constant: the same absolute creatinine value implies different kidney function depending on typical muscle mass. This hub covers where men’s reference ranges differ, what those differences reflect, and which cardiovascular and metabolic numbers tend to warrant earlier attention in men.
Men's Health guides
Plain-English explanations of what these measurements mean.
FitnessBody Fat Percentage and the Navy Tape Method: How Accurate Is It?
The tape-measure method used by the US military estimates body fat from neck, waist and height, and hip for women. It is typically accurate to within three to four percentage po…
8 min read
Blood TestsLiver Function Tests Explained: What ALT and AST Results Mean
ALT and AST are enzymes that leak into the blood when liver cells are irritated or damaged. A raised result is a prompt to look for a cause, not a diagnosis, and a result inside…
8 min read
General WellnessWaist Circumference, Waist-to-Height and Waist-to-Hip Ratio Explained
Where weight is carried says something that BMI cannot. Waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and waist-to-hip ratio each measure central fat in a different way, with cut-p…
8 min read
Men's HealthHow Muscle Mass Distorts Creatinine, eGFR and BMI
Creatinine comes from muscle, so more muscle means a higher blood creatinine at the same kidney function — which is why eGFR equations carry a sex term. The same muscle shifts B…
8 min read
General WellnessWhat Is BMI and What Does It Actually Tell You?
BMI is weight divided by height squared — a population screening tool invented in the 1830s, not a measure of an individual’s health. It cannot distinguish muscle from fat, says…
10 min read
Kidney HealthWhat Is eGFR? Understanding Kidney Function
eGFR estimates how much blood your kidneys filter each minute, calculated from creatinine, age and sex rather than measured directly. A single result does not establish kidney d…
9 min read