Just like changing the oil in your car every 3,000 miles, getting regular health checks is crucial in aging healthfully. Here are a few important tests to make sure you get on your schedule as recommended by doctors.
Men:
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- Prostate Cancer Screening: Starting at age 50, men should get a yearly checkup with the physician. As prostate cancer is one of more common types of cancer diagnosed in men (1 in 6), it’s a good idea to start screening sooner than later.
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- Testicular Cancer Screening: A monthly self-exam is advised, as early detection of tumors can increase a man’s survival by up to 90 percent. Men of all ages should take part in this preventative measure.
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- Cholesterol Screening/Lipoprotein Profile: Cholesterol tests are recommended every five years starting at age 20. The risks of heart disease increases with higher fatty protein levels in the arteries, so maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise will help keep bad cholesterol (LDL) levels low.
Women:
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- Mammogram: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women and the mammogram remains the single most useful tool in detecting the disease. Women at age 40 should begin yearly examinations, unless your mother or sister was diagnosed, then experts recommend starting five to 10 years earlier.
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- Pelvic Exam/Pap Smear: Being the number two killer among women worldwide, cervical cancer can be prevented by getting a yearly pap exam. Doctors suggest starting at age 21 or within three years of becoming sexually active.
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- Bone-Mineral Density Test: Following menopause, osteoporosis cripples 10 million older Americans, 80 percent of them are women. Getting a DXA (dual-energy X-ray) test at age 65 and five years thereafter will give women insight to the disease.
COMPILED BY WILL MULLER
