Inside the Room: What Thirty Men Taught Us About Modern Male Health

By Dr. Charlie Cox, Reborne’s Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Consultant

Last week at Reborne Longevity, we brought together a group of thirty men ranging from their early twenties to their early sixties. It was a rare mix and an even rarer mood. Curiosity, relief and a level of honesty you rarely see when men talk about health. Within minutes the conversation moved from polite questions to the real concerns men often keep to themselves. Fatigue. Focus. Stress. Sexual health. Hormones. Ageing. The quiet issues that chip away at confidence but rarely get spoken aloud.

That was the overriding theme of the evening. Men want to feel strong and in control, but most simply do not know where to begin.

Here were a few of my takeaways from the evening:

1. Why men still present late

Clinically we see the same pattern every week. Men tend to wait until symptoms become difficult to ignore. Cultural conditioning tells them to push through or to hope it simply sorts itself out. In reality, ignoring symptoms is not resilience. It is self-sabotage.We walked through a few simple wins that any man can act on immediately: check your testicles every month, pay attention to changes in mood, do not dismiss ongoing fatigue or sexual health issues, and come to a consultation with data rather than guesswork. Leaving things until the last minute helps no one.

2. The Power of a Multidisciplinary Team

On the night we brought four disciplines into one conversation: endocrinology, psychiatry, performance medicine and cardiothoracic care. These fields rarely sit around the same table, yet when they do, the connections between them become obvious. When men’s health is fragmented, important diagnoses are missed. When a team collaborates, health becomes predictable, preventable and genuinely optimisable. That is the philosophy that underpins Reborne.

3. Peptides, Testosterone and the Ethics of Access

Interest in peptides was enormous. But so was the confusion around them. Many compounds have limited long-term human evidence, inconsistent regulation and a legal landscape that changes frequently. They are not shortcuts. They are tools that require evidence, context and fully informed consent.Testosterone created even more discussion. Some men had assumed it was a simple route to feeling better. The reality is more complex. TRT can be transformative, but only for the right person and only when the wider picture has been assessed. The potential impact on fertility, the suppression of the endocrine system and the risk of masking undiagnosed conditions are rarely discussed in commercial clinics. As I said on the night, there is no free lunch, although for the right patient, there can be a very good one.

4. Psychiatry, Neuroscience and the Next Era of Performance

Dr Jonathan Garabette walked the group through the shift taking place within modern psychiatry. The field is becoming predictive rather than reactive and more integrated with disciplines like endocrinology and behavioural science. We discussed TMS, which already plays a central role in treatment-resistant depression and may, in time, support cognitive performance and emotional regulation. Ketamine clinics came up too. We outlined who they may help, who they may place at risk and why the surrounding structure and monitoring matter more than the drug itself.

5. What Erections Reveal About the Heart

One of the most striking moments of the evening came during the discussion on erectile function. Erections rely on precise coordination between nitric oxide, hormones and vascular health. When the smaller vessels in the penis begin to struggle, it is often an early indication that the larger vessels around the heart may follow. Several men had never heard this before. It is one of the most valuable early warning signs we have.We handed out nocturnal erection monitors, informally termed Willy Whoops, and are now feeding back results to those who opted to share their data. They are not diagnostic in isolation, but when placed alongside cardiovascular and hormonal data, the picture becomes powerful.

6. Cardiovascular Risk and the Modern Man

The group also spent time on the silent risks that rarely produce symptoms. Raised ApoB. Genetic risk. Lipoprotein(a). These markers shape cardiovascular destiny far more accurately than standard lipid tests. Once plaque forms, reversing it becomes extremely difficult. Understanding your numbers early is one of the most effective interventions any man can take.

7. A Shift in How Men Speak About Health

By the end of the night something had shifted. Men were comparing data, sharing concerns and asking the questions they have carried for years. That is exactly what we are building at Reborne. A space where men understand their bodies clearly, take control early and stay strong for far longer.What I saw in that room was the beginning of something important. When men are given the space, structure and science to understand their bodies properly, everything changes.This is exactly why Reborne exists. To bring together advanced diagnostics, specialist input and thoughtful guidance in one place, so men can take action early and stay well for longer. I look forward to continuing this work as our men’s programme grows.