1) Get Married. Numerous surveys have shown that married men, especially men in their 50s, 60s, and 70s, are healthier and have lower death rates than those who never married or who are divorced or widowed.

Why? The social connectedness of marriage may lower stress levels and depression, which lead to chronic illness. Unmarried men generally have poorer health habits, too — they drink more, eat worse, get less medical care and engage in more risky behavior.

2) Eat Better. Poor nutrition is linked with heart disease, diabetes and cancer — leading causes of death in men over 40. Younger midlife men often eat too much red meat, junk food and fast food, which can lead to excess weight, high cholesterol, hypertension and other risk factors. 

3) Drive Safer. Men generally have more car accidents than women, and men in their 50s and 60s are twice as likely as women to die in car wrecks. 

4) Treat Depression ASAP. Although women are three times more likely to attempt suicide than men, men are more successful at it. In 2009, 79 percent of all deaths by suicide were men. 

5) Stop Smoking. Sure, you’ve heard about the horrific effects of smoking. But the older you get, the worse they become. Older smokers sustain greater lung damage over time because they have been smoking longer; they also tend to be heavier smokers.