August 7, 2026, 12:20 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
In 2017, at the age of 56, Antonio Banderas suffered a severe heart attack. Nine years later, he surprises with a statement one wouldn’t expect from a heart attack patient: “My heart attack was the best thing that ever happened to me.” FITBOOK editor Michael Winges explains why this statement could also have come from a man in Germany.
Back then, Banderas experienced severe chest pain at his English home in Surrey, was hospitalized, and underwent emergency surgery. Today, at 65, he not only has three more stents but also a wealth of wisdom. In an interview with the magazine “People,” he shares how the heart attack profoundly changed his life and outlook: “It was like someone put glasses on me so I could see the reality I hadn’t seen before.” While one always has in the back of their mind that they will die, when death comes so close, it becomes incredibly clear how foolish it is to waste time on things that don’t belong in life, he continues. Banderas has since traded Hollywood life for his hometown of Málaga, quit smoking, and now says, “The only thing that interests me now is life itself.”
Men’s Health by the Numbers
Men in Germany live an average of 78.8 years, while women live 83.4 years. The reasons for this can be complex. Among other things, men consume more alcohol and tobacco than women. Another fundamental issue is that men simply go to the doctor much less frequently, and especially do not take advantage of preventive examinations, even though they are free. A look at the numbers paints a clear picture:
- Colorectal cancer screening: Between 2010 and 2022, only 22.9 percent of men, but 55.5 percent of women aged 50 to 54, used the stool test for early detection. By the age of 55, over 77 percent of men had never been tested, compared to less than half of women at 44.5 percent.1
- Ignoring illnesses until “it can’t go on”: 63.5 percent of men do not go to the doctor with their illnesses and ailments.2
- General doctor visits: A health insurance analysis shows that in 2021, 94.4 percent of women visited a doctor, compared to 87.2 percent of men.3
- Skin cancer screening: In 2022 and 2023, only 28 percent of the approximately 47 million eligible individuals (aged 35 and older) took advantage of the free screening. Among those aged 35 to 39, only 16.6 percent of men participated, compared to 23.3 percent of women.
- Suicide rate: Men have a three times higher suicide rate than women across all age groups.4
Monks and Nuns Live Equally Long
The difference in life expectancy need not be so pronounced. At least, that’s what a study published in 2002 suggests. It examined more than 11,000 nuns and monks who lived in Bavarian monasteries between 1910 and 1985. The study found that when men and women live under comparable conditions, their life expectancies differ little. Monks in the study lived almost as long as nuns.5
Also interesting: Paying attention in middle age significantly reduces the risk of dementia
Men Often Change Only When It’s Too Late
Antonio Banderas only changed his outlook on life after a life-altering experience with a heart attack. This pattern is also evident among men in Germany. It seems they only realize the importance of prevention later in life. This is particularly evident in skin cancer screening, where only the younger age groups were mentioned earlier. Among those aged 80 to 84, men’s participation rate even exceeds that of women. This shows that the change in thinking occurs only at an age when many diseases could have already been detected. Men disadvantage themselves for decades. The reasons many men think this way are also complex. It can be stereotypical roles where doctor visits are seen as a sign of weakness, as well as the tendency to downplay symptoms or consider themselves less susceptible.
Even though this article discusses German men, an Austrian study with 672 heart attack patients from the Medical University of Innsbruck underscores this pattern: 57 percent of participants were still active smokers at the time of their heart attack, and only afterward did 48 percent quit. The heart attack was the wake-up call–déjà vu Banderas.6
The message is clear: Men should not make their health a priority only when it is already seriously endangered. Regular check-ups can help prevent a wake-up call like Antonio Banderas’s.