A Guide to Predicting Your Medical Future
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AAA ultrasound: If you've ever smoked, you need to be scanned for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, which can develop over many years before bursting. Get checked once between 65 and 75.
EVERYONE
Eye exam: Most docs recommend annual glaucoma tests after 65. But the USPSTF says there's not enough evidence to recommend that everyone get one.
Ear exam: The FDA says hearing loss affects one out of every four people over 65. Get a basic hearing exam from your primary-care doc every year.
Nonfasting total blood cholesterol: After 65, have your levels checked every four years (not every five, as before). King says it's OK to skip this test after 80, when "the side effects of the medications may be worse than the condition," he says.
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Member Comments
Posted By: Bullsfan @ 01/30/2008 10:09:19 AM
Comment: Oh, and let's put eating disorders vs obesity into perspective. Roughly 7 million people have eating disorders in the US. In contrast, 25% of AMericans are obese. That's 75 MILLION people. Which do YOU think is the bigger heath risk.?
Posted By: njdocisin @ 01/27/2008 3:59:47 AM
Comment: The article also left out skin cancer screenings. People 20-40 should have a clinical skin exam at least every 3 years, people 40+ should have one annually, and all people over the age of 20 should be doing montly self-exams. Kind of a big oversight IMO.
Posted By: Ivhie @ 01/21/2008 7:52:51 PM
Comment: Coronary heart/artery disease is not ONLY a genetic disease. It is a well-known fact that many things can contribute to the health of your blood vessels and heart. Coronary artery disease comes about when plaque forms and builds on the arteries. Although people with genetic predisposition can often build the plaque more quickly, genes are not the only factor. Diet, exercise, and a whole host of other factors also play a role. I'm not sure why hamidbak is so sure that CAD and gum disease are not related, but researchers (yes many researchers, and yes they did medical research studies) have found that people with periodontal disease are almost two times as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease as those without periodontal disease. Whether it is a direct cause-and-effect is not certain, but I think that results like that would make me want to brush my teeth and get my cavities taken care of. How about you?