Most of us practice preventive medicine with our children
and preventive maintenance with our cars and appliances. We’re rarely as proactive
about self care, limiting visits to our health practitioner to when we feel
sick. Add a plan for healthy self maintenance to your fitness activity by using
the chart below to learn what tests are important and when you should schedule
them.
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What to Get When
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How Often
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Keep in Mind
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Beginning at age 18—Self Exams
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Breast self-exam
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Monthly (women)
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Probe a week after your period ends. Any lump requires
review by your physician.
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Skin self-exam
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Monthly.
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Moles that are ragged, multicolored, have changed shape,
or are wider than a pencil eraser require a doctor’s attention.
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Abdominal Measurement
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Monthly
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Goal for women is <35 inches; men < 40 inches. A
higher result requires a visit to a doctor for heart disease and diabetes
risk review.
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Note: Have a tetanus-diphtheria shot every ten years.
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Note: At any time in life, if you have a hysterectomy or are treated for cancer,
request a bone density assessment before surgery or before treatment begins. Repeat
the assessment in 6-12 months to find out if bone health has been compromised.
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Beginning at age 18, see your doctor for
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Pelvic exam; Pap “smear”; Clinical breast exam
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Yearly.
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These exams screen for cancers and sexually transmitted
diseases.
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Hearing exam
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Every ten years.
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After age 50, get tested more often—especially if you use
earphones to listen to music. .
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Chlalmydia and other sexually transmitted diseases
including HIV
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Pregnant or planning to be.
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Recommended even for women in monogamous relationships.
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At age 20+, add the following
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Blood pressure reading
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Every two years.
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More frequent readings may
be scheduled by your physician.
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Dental checkup
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Every 6-12 months; x-rays every other year.
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Cleaning should be a part of the checkup; it helps prevent
gum disease. Floss regularly—plaque from your mouth can dislodge and attach
itself to the arteries to your heart.
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Fasting lipoprotein profile
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Every five years.
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This blood test for triglycerides (fat in blood) and
cholesterol levels (for tendency to form plaque in arteries) screens for
heart disease, our #1 killer.
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At age 35+, add the following
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Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) test
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Every five years.
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One in eight women will suffer from a thyroid disorder
during her lifetime.
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At age 40+, for women only
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Mammogram
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Yearly.
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Screen earlier if there’s a family history of breast
cancer.
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At age 45+, add the following
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Fasting glucose and, if you have a family history of
diabetes, add glycohemoglobin (A1C)a
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Can be added to annual blood test. Every six months if you
have a genetic tendency to diabetes or are more than 20 pounds overweight.
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A1C measures how well blood glucose has been controlled in
recent months. Those with diabetes are advised to keep their level at less
than seven percent.
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hsCRP (highly sensitive C reactive protein)
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Can be added to annual blood test, if at risk; if not,
every three years.
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Recommended for those who have a family history of heart
disease.
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At 50+, add the following
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Bone mineral density test (for osteoporosis)
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Annually, if bone density is low or you are being treated
for osteoporosis; every five years, if bone density is high.
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Recommended for all postmenopausal women and those at risk
for osteoporosis (e.g., cancer patients, women whose ovaries have been
removed). Men get osteoporosis too but testing for them typically begins ten
years later.
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Fecal occult blood test
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Annually
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Tests for blood in stool. This is only 40 percent accurate
but it is a test you can do at home.
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Double contrast barium enema or flexible sigmoidoscopy or
colonoscopy
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Annually if you have gastric reflux disease or blood in
stool.
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Rules out colorectal cancer. Start screening earlier if
you have an inflammatory bowel disease or your parent, child, or sibling has
had colorectal cancer.
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Note: Ask your doctor if you should take a flu shot.
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At 65, add the following
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Ask your
doctor if you should take a (one time) pneumonia shot.
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For Men Only
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PSA test
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Annually in men over age 55; earlier for African American
men or if a relative has been diagnosed with prostate cancer
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Detects prostate cancer better than the digital rectal
exam. Note: Prostate cancer is the
second most common cancer in men; average age of patients at time of
diagnosis is 70.
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Family history, race, and gender all play a role in your
risk of developing a disease. The best prevention is regular exercise and a
healthy diet.
Keep a personal/family notebook. I use a notebook with
pocket holders in the dividers to keep lab results, tests, important
information, and forms. This makes record keeping simple. You can also visit
www.rondagates.com and get a downloadable form of the chart above to record
screening dates.