Men are being urged to take control of their wellbeing and seek help for any health concerns they may have.

Currently in Ireland, three in every four men die from heart disease, stroke, cancer or respiratory disease and conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis and asthma are common.

Furthermore, an estimated one-third of all Irish men will be obese by 2015 and obese men are five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and three times more likely to develop colon cancer.

However, pharmacists insist that men can ‘dramatically increase' their chances of detecting and treating certain conditions ‘if they take action'.

"Men are less likely to talk about health matters or go for a medical checkup so they reduce the chances of giving themselves a fighting chance in managing or even curing common ailments," explained Bernard Duggan of the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU).

He noted that a lot of conditions, such as heart disease, can be controlled by following a healthy lifestyle, including quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.

"Pharmacists can provide counselling and advice on all aspects of men's health in a private and confidential consultation area in their pharmacy. Taking action now will have real benefits for men resulting in a longer life," Mr Duggan insisted.

The IPU added that the life expectancy of men continues to be around five years less than that of women - 77 years compared to 82 years.

For more information on heart health, see our Heart Disease Clinic here