The Role of the Urologist in Men's Health.

Men often come to the urology department because of symptoms related to sexual function. In this situation, urologists are in an important position to enable early detection and prevention of chronic diseases that can occur in men. Although urologists should function in a similar role to gynecologists in the area of women's health, much of the health of men can overlap with the role of the internal medicine practitioner, including providingprofessional medical treatment for chronic diseases. It is recommended that the urologist perform basic physical examinations, such as overall medical history and height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure measurement for male patients who are primarily referred for urogenital diseases [12]. In patients with erectile dysfunction and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), it is important to check for common comorbidities, such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and hypertension through basic laboratory tests such as blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels [3]. If these tests show a coexisting disease that the patient was unaware of, referral to a physician who specializes in the treatment of the disease is needed to start medication. However, if the chronic disease has not yet reached a significant stage, and if the patient is at risk fordeveloping chronic disease, it is necessary to first recommend conservative methods, such as improving lifestyle, including diet and exercise [4]. Through these efforts, chronic diseases can be prevented and male health can be improved. Urologists should not be limited to urologic diseases, but should play a role as a primary healthcare provider. These efforts provide anopportunity to expand the area of urology to men's health. To effectively perform these new roles, it is necessary to constantly acquire newly emerging medical knowledge of chronic diseases associated with sexual function and LUTS. It is also necessary to provide clear and concise solutions for men's health to the patients who have visited the urology department through continuous self-learning. To fulfill this role, it is necessary to expand the mindset of the role of the treatment-oriented urologist to the role of the male health practitioner.