Healthtips

The life expectancy for healthy American adults has never been greater. Many factors contribute to this good news, from the use of advanced technology to the development of highly effective new medications.

But most important is the understanding of the risk factors of diseases and how to modify them to reduce their harmful outcomes. Much credit for better health must be attributed to the adult preventive health care and screenings now available that save millions of lives through early detection of life-threatening disease.

As with any health issue, your doctor is the best resource for this information about what screenings and immunizations you should have, because he or she is familiar with your personal health history and knows how your situation may differ from the general guidelines. Among immunizations that your physician may recommend are tetanus, giving protection against infection after injury, and flu and pneumococcal shots. If you have chronic medical conditions such as heart, lung, or kidney disease, or diabetes, you are at a higher risk for flu or pneumonia.

All adults should establish screening baselines with a complete physical examination at around age 20. A blood pressure test will detect hypertension which can lead to heart attack, stroke or kidney disease and should be rechecked every 2-3 years if normal. All adults should receive baseline screening triglyceride and cholesterol including HDL and LDL. Yearly evaluations are recommended beginning at age 50.

Eye examinations are recommended every 3 to 5 years until age 40 and every 2-4 years thereafter. At age 65 these should increase to every two years, and if a patient has diabetes an annual eye exam is recommended. Eye exams can diagnose conditions that, if untreated, may result in blindness.

A colonoscopy after age 50 can reduce the average person’s risk of dying from colorectal cancer by 90%. A urinalysis screening to detect presence of protein in urine is suggested every five years starting at age 20.

Women are advised to perform a breast self exam every month to detect changes that may indicate cancer. Annual mammogram is prescribed at 40. Mammograms have been shown to lower the risk of dying from breast cancer by 35% in women over 50.

Doctors can detect osteoporosis, in which bones become weak and brittle, by measuring bone density. Hip fractures are the most serious complication and can result in disability and even death from postoperative complications, especially in older adults.
A Pap test takes a small sample of cells to detect cervical cancer or precancerous cells, and is recommended every year after 21. A new vaccine, available for younger women, reduces risk of cervical cancer. Men under 35 are encouraged to perform testicular self exams every month to detect changes in the testicles that may indicate cancer. At 50, the prostate specific antigen test (PSA), is used to help detect cancer of the prostate gland or between 40 and 45 in African American males and where there is a family history.