Between the ages of 30 and 49, screening tests become important for men and even more so for women. Your health care provider can recommend the tests you need to facilitate early detection of the most common and treatable diseases, such as
diabetes, cancer and
heart disease, that may appear now or in later years. These screens can be scheduled as part of a periodic health exam, during which your blood pressure,
cholesterol levels,
blood glucose, weight, and height should be regularly checked and any need to update your immunizations should be reviewed.
In your thirties, you should schedule a routine health exam about every 5 years, even if you feel healthy; after age 40, more frequent checkups are recommended, about every 1 to 3 years, again assuming your health is good. If your health is affected by a specific disease or you have an increased risk of certain health problems, you should schedule these preventative care exams closer together. At the end of each checkup, ask your health care provider when you should return for your next routine exam.
For more information on preventive medicine and steps you can take to keep you and your family healthy, read Staying Healthy in an Era of Patient Responsibility.
Sources
Alvi MR. Checkup. 2004 Jul 13 (updated). Available on the Internet at the eMedicine Consumer Health web siteunder the “Public Health” heading: http://emedicinehealth.com/articles/11809-8asp. Accessed October 19, 2004.
American Academy of Family Physicians. Preventive services for healthy living. 2003 Mar (reviewed/updated). Available on the Internet at http://familydoctor.org/x1548.xml. Accessed October 19, 2004.
American Academy of Family Physicians. Summary of policy recommendations for periodic health examinations. Leawood, Kansas. 2003 Aug. Available on the Internet at http://www.guidelines.gov/summary/summary.aspx?doc_id=4183&nbr=3208. Accessed July 19, 2004.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Program, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Recommendations: adult immunization schedule. Available on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/adult-schedule.htm. Accessed October 19, 2004.
