Men's Health Matters: 6 Health Risks You Need to Know About

GE Privacy

Introduction: protecting your privacy, enhancing your online experience

When it comes to data privacy, protecting your personal information is most important. We feel it’s also important to give you, your colleagues, and your family members a voice in the development of this web site and your overall experience with it. To do this, we need to collect certain types of information to help us evaluate how the HealthAhead web site is being used, so we can continually improve your experience and the content we offer to you. By tracking overall usage patterns, providing an easy channel for your feedback, and allowing you to tell us what content is most useful to you, we can refine our offerings and provide more of the content you personally find valuable.

Overall, we are committed to giving you the option to participate – or not participate – in a manner that’s right for you. Read more for how we do this.

Information we collect and how we use it

Identifiable Information Collecting

All methods of identifying yourself to GE will be optional and opt-in, may be updated by you at any time, and will not be required for all areas of the web site.

We will not collect any identifiable user information from the areas of the HealthAhead web site which do not require SSO (Single Sign On), unique User ID (Identification), and/or Password.

There are areas of the web site that require you to identify yourself to us (authenticate). This allows you to access certain parts of the web site that may otherwise be restricted for privacy and security purposes.

There are also areas that may provide the option to create a personalized profile. The information you provide is optional and what you tell us will determine the level of personalization you will experience.

Access to identifiable information is restricted to internal, administrative personnel and solely for purposes of providing web site support, awarding prizes and other recognition, and customizing the web site content and overall functionality for the user. However, we will also allow you to change your mind and opt-out of sharing personal information with us at any time.

Non-Identifiable Information Collecting

When you visit the HealthAhead web site, we track, collect and report on certain aggregate and non- identifiable information. In other words, the information we collect does not relate to a single identifiable visitor. It tells us things such as how many users visited our web site and what pages they viewed.

This non-identifiable data will be collected and stored in a secure database in the U.S., and may be viewed by GE. We will analyze this information to refine our web site to better reflect user preferences, such as the type of content users are searching for most, and to improve the usability of the web site and the user’s web site experience. The information may also be used for purposes of promoting the web site. The data will not be used for medical analysis or other medical purposes.

Cookies

Like many web sites, the HealthAhead web site uses browser cookies – bits of text placed on your computer’s hard drive when you visit. We use them to tell us things like whether you’ve visited us before, and to help us identify features in which you may have the greatest interest. We also use cookies to track country and language selection.

In the future, we may use cookies to track additional details, such as city and state.

We keep this information unless you don’t wish GE to capture this and choose to delete your cookie history. If you wish to stop accepting new browser cookies, get notification when you receive a new cookie, or disable existing cookies, the “help” portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how. Keep in mind, without browser cookies, you may not be able to take full advantage of all our web site features or have your preferences saved for future visits.

We also use Flash cookies on the web site to enhance your online experience. These are similar to browser cookies, but they store data more complex than simple text. Flash cookies, by themselves, cannot do anything to or with the data on your computer. In addition, Flash cookies cannot access or remember your email address or other personal information unless you provide the information on this web site.

Web Beacons

Certain pages on our web site contain “web beacons” (also known as Internet tags, pixel tags and clear GIFs). These web beacons obtain information such as the time the page was viewed, the type of browser used to view the page, and the information in cookies. Web beacon data does not include IP address. The web beacon data is stored at Google Analytics, a third party (see ‘Tracking and Reporting’ for more information on this technology).

Tracking and Reporting

Specifically we will track, collect and report on the following data using software from Google Analytics. For more information about Google Analytics, including information about how to opt out of these technologies, go to www.google-analytics.com

Our primary metrics include: Poll response rate, repeat visits, number of times content is shared, and visits by country.

The sub-metrics include:

Most Popular Content Types, Most Popular Content Topics, User Pathing, Exit Links, Bounce Rate, Traffic by Source (region), Time on Web site, Visit Time of Day, Unique Views/Page Views, Thumps Up/Down, Most Shared Content, Number of Times Content is Rated, Most Rated Content by Type, Language Selection.

We will also be tracking how much communicators, web site leaders and other HealthAhead operations teams are leveraging the web site to support and align their business, regional and web site specific efforts. Some of these metrics may be tracked using existing support central tools.

These metrics may include:

Number of Content Submissions by Region, Number of non-corporate Driven Promotions by RCs, Number of Promotional Downloads by Region, Support Central Survey

Feedback Form

Your feedback is important to the web site’s ongoing development, so we’d love to hear your opinions and ideas. To contact us, please use this Feedback form. We will not be able to respond directly, but all feedback will be reviewed, evaluated, and factored into future content decisions. Please note: this form is monitored by IT support staff only. Please do not submit any personal or medical information. And thank you in advance!

Poll and Quiz Responses

On the web site, we will conduct polls and quizzes to better understand user activities, attitudes, interests and knowledge across multiple health topics. These polls may also help us serve you better by asking questions that relate to the usefulness of our web site. We will not capture any personally identifiable information through the collection of poll response data. As part of these polls and quizzes, we will capture responses sorted by country. In the future, we may capture responses sorted by additional anonymous demographics such as language, affiliated GE business, work web site location, gender, etc.

Sharing Content with Family and Friends

We want you to share the web site’s content with important people in your life, so most articles, videos and slideshows can be emailed. To do so, we will ask you to provide your name and the recipient’s email address. We simply use this information to send the content as you request. At this time, we do not capture or store your, or the recipient’s, email address. Please see below to learn how we track and report on email sharing activity.

Please also review GE’s Social Media Guidelines

How we protect information

GE maintains administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect against unauthorized disclosure, use, alteration or destruction of any information you provide on this web site. We use secure socket layer (SSL) technology to help keep the information you provide on this web site secure. See ‘Information We Share’ and ‘Information We Transfer’ for additional details.

Information we share

We do not sell or otherwise disclose personal information about our visitors, except as described here. We may share information provided by visitors with service providers we have retained to perform services on our behalf. These service providers are contractually restricted from using or disclosing the information, except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or comply with legal requirements. In addition, we may disclose information about you if we are required to do so by law or legal process; to law enforcement authorities or other government officials; or when we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss or in connection with an investigation of suspected or actual illegal activity.

Information we transfer

We may transfer the information we collect on this web site to other countries where we do business, but only for the purposes described above. When we transfer your information to other countries, we will protect that information as described here unless otherwise required by applicable laws.

Links to other web sites

We provide links to other web sites for your convenience and information. These web sites may have their own privacy statements in place, which we recommend you review if you visit any linked web sites. We are not responsible for the content of linked web sites or any use of the web sites.

Children’s privacy

This web site is not directed to children under the age of thirteen and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of thirteen on the web site. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received personal information from a visitor under the age of thirteen, we will delete the information from our records.

Some links on this web site may take web site visitors to web sites that are directed to children. These web sites have their own privacy notices that address children’s privacy. We encourage you to read these privacy notices if you visit any linked web sites directed to children.

Updates to our privacy & data policy

This Privacy & Data Policy may be updated periodically and without prior notice to you to reflect changes in our online information practices. We will post a notice on this web site to notify you of any significant changes to our Privacy & Data Policy, and indicate at the top of this policy when it was most recently updated.

How to contact us

If you have any questions or comments about this Privacy & Data Policy, or if you would like us to update information we have about you or your preferences, please contact us by visiting our Feedback Form.

Men's Health Matters: 6 Health Risks You Need to Know About

Men tend to have shorter life expectancies than women. For some conditions—such as heart disease—they are at higher risk at every point in their lives. Fortunately, men can take action to help protect themselves against many potential health problems.

Celebrate International Men’s Health Week this June by taking stock of your health and wellbeing. Let’s start by learning more about six leading health risks for men—including heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory diseases, stroke, and diabetes. We’ll also explore steps you can take to help limit your risk and protect yourself.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for American men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It causes one in every four deaths among men. And half of men who die suddenly from heart disease have no previous symptoms.

To protect your heart and blood vessels, it’s important to be proactive. For example, the American Heart Association (AHA) encourages men to:

Eat a well-balanced diet, get plenty of exercise, and maintain a healthy weight

Avoid smoking and limit alcohol to an average of two drinks per day or less

Keep tabs on your heart health by visiting your doctor annually to stay up to date on important screenings. For example, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends blood pressure screening for all adults over 18. Your doctor can help you decide if additional screenings are appropriate for you, such as checking your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Cancer

Cancer kills more than 300,000 men in the United States every year, reports the CDC. Skin, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer are especially common among American men.

To help lower your risk, the American Cancer Society (ACS) advises men to:

Eat a well-balanced diet, including lots of fruits and veggies

Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke

Wear sunscreen and protect your skin

Starting at age 50, the USPSTF recommends annual screening for colorectal cancer. Early detection may make a huge difference in successfully treating this condition.

Unintentional Injuries

Accidental injuries can really hurt. In some cases, they may even kill. For almost all types of injury, men face higher risk of death than woman, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Fortunately, many unintentional injuries are avoidable.

To help prevent injuries:

Avoid taking unnecessary risks

Wear a seatbelt and drive carefully

Only drink alcohol in moderation—and never drink and drive

Chronic Lower Respiratory Disease

The American Lung Association (ALA) warns that deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases are on the rise. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis—is especially dangerous.

Smoking and second-hand smoke are major risk factors for these conditions. If you currently smoke, the best thing you can do for your health is to quit. If you don’t smoke, take care to limit your exposure to second-hand smoke as much as possible. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also encourages men to avoid other irritants that may harm the lungs, such as air pollution and chemical fumes.

Stroke

Stroke kills more women, but it is still a leading cause of death for American men. In fact, 40 percent of Americans who die from stroke are men, reports the American Stroke Association.

The same healthy lifestyle choices that reduce the risk of heart disease—such as healthy eating and exercise—also help cut stroke risk. For example, the CDC encourages all adults to get plenty of exercise, including at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. That could include brisk walking, biking, doubles tennis, or mowing the lawn.

Diabetes

Diabetes is more common among men than women. More than 13 percent of American men have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to the CDC. Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and only represents about 5 percent of all diabetes cases. Not only is type 2 diabetes more common—but there’s a lot you can do to help reduce your risk.

Most of the healthy lifestyle practices that cut your risk of heart disease may also help protect against type 2 diabetes. For example, it’s important to eat a well-balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight. If you are concerned about your risk for this condition, talk to your doctor. Depending on your overall health, your doctor may recommend a blood glucose screening test.

Challenge Yourself: Make health a priority

On your best days, you may feel invincible. But even the strongest men face health risks. Eating a well- balanced diet, getting plenty of exercise, avoiding cigarettes, and limiting alcohol may help you enjoy a longer and healthier life. Regular check-ups and health screenings are also important. Take advantage of International Men’s Health Week and challenge yourself to commit to one or more healthy lifestyle changes this month. There’s no better time to take control of your health!