Checking in: Men are less likely than women to visit a doctor - is your significant other one of them?

The statistics are rather stark.

* Men are 24 percent less likely than women to have visited a doctor within the past 12 months, and are 22 percent more likely to have neglected to have their cholesterol levels checked.

* Men are 28 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for congestive heart failure, and heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States.

* Men are 32 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for long-term complications of diabetes.

* Men are 24 percent more likely than women to be hospitalized for pneumonia that could have been prevented by immunization.

Dr. Philip Tippin poses for a photo at Cape Primary Care. (Glenn Landberg)

The narrative of the numbers, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, tends to play out locally.

Dr. Philip Tippin poses for a photo at Cape Primary Care. (Glenn Landberg)

Dr. Philip Tippin, internal medicine physician at Cape Primary Care, says there are some men in his care who don't or are reluctant to check in with him on a regular basis.

"One patient told me, 'I'm only here because my wife made me come.' I'll see several of those in a year, whether because of a cough or concern for high blood pressure," Tippin says.

"One fellow was hesitant to come in, although he was experiencing chest pain. He ended up having heart disease and had bypass surgery. He did fine," Tippen says, adding some men adopt the philosophy "give it time and it will get better on its own.' A lot of things will, but things like chest pain need to be evaluated."

What can a spouse or partner do to ensure a loved one is receiving needed medical attention?

By line:Dr. Philip Tippin poses for a photo at Cape Primary Care. (Glenn Landberg)

Tippin says often the wife takes the lead in scheduling an appointment for her husband, and, in some cases, the husband and wife come in together for checkups, screenings and inoculations.

"Some guys let the wife do the talking for them, but, ultimately, it's up to the man to make sure he is seen," Tippin says.

Some people may put off a visit to the doctor for fear other health issues may come up -- health issues based on lifestyle.

"Smokers being told they need to quit -- which they probably know anyway -- for instance, could be a barrier to some folks coming in," Tippin says. "Sometimes they need to be told officially that they need to quit smoking, need to lose weight or need to exercise."

Ideally, Tippin would like to have patients visit once a year.

By line:lifestyle photo of a young caucasian man as he waits in a hospital examination room

"It's easier to try to prevent problems from occurring. For instance, a lot of cancers can be successfully treated if patients are seen earlier," Tippin says.

Tippin suggests conditions for which men, in particular, should be screened:

* Colon cancer at age 50, or younger if there is a family history

* Prostate cancer screening

* Lung cancer, especially for smokers or former smokers

* Abdominal aortic aneurysm at age 65, especially if a smoker

* Cholesterol

* Blood sugar to screen for diabetes

Beyond that, Tippin recommends regular immunizations for flu, pneumonia, pertussis and tetanus.

"The earlier it's caught, it's much more treatable. Our aim is to catch something before it gets to be a big problem," Tippin says, sharing a bit of examination-room humor: "Men may take better care of our vehicles than ourselves. We change the oil religiously, and have the tires rotated religiously. But when it comes to ourselves ..."