Preventive Services Task Force recommends one-time screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) by ultrasound in men ages 65 to 75 who have ever smoked. Screening can be offered to women who have a strong family history of AAA repair or death due to AAA rupture. A one-time diphtheria tetanus booster that also has pertussis vaccine (whooping cough) in it is recommended, followed by a diphtheria/tetanus booster every 10 years Also, almost all adults should get an annual flu shot. The CDC recommends the shingles vaccine for those over age 50 as well. People older than 65 should get a pneumococcal vaccine to protect against pneumonia. Medicare will usually cover these blood tests. Consider an advanced lipid test, which gives even more information on cardiovascular risk. That is why measuring your levels of total cholesterol - HDL "good" cholesterol and LDL "bad" cholesterol - is important to do regularly. The good news, though, is that high cholesterol levels can be treated by diet and medications. High cholesterol levels are a major reason why people have heart attacks and strokes. If a woman is at a higher risk, a screening test may need to be done at an earlier age. Women should have a bone density test at age 65. Get serious and ask your doctor to refer you for a bone density test. If you have it and you get a fracture - especially of the hip - you've significantly increased your risk of permanent disability or death. Get a hearing test if you are having any trouble hearing. At least 25% of people ages 65 to 74 have disabling hearing loss, most of which is treatable. Ask your eye doctor how often you need to have your eyes checked. Screening can preserve and maximize your vision. Eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, are common with age. If a woman is older than 65 and has had several negative Pap smears in a row or has had a total hysterectomy for a noncancerous condition like fibroids, your doctor may tell you that a Pap test is no longer needed. Pap smears are recommended for women every 3 years, an HPV test every 5 years, or both, up to age 65. And the pelvic exam can detect a host of other conditions that may affect your health and quality of life (think incontinence!). Older women can get cervical cancer or vaginal cancer.
You may think it's crazy, but many women over 60 still need to get regular pelvic exams, Pap smears, or human papillomavirus (HPV) tests. For women, a pelvic exam, Pap smear and HPV test.Talk to your doctor about when you should begin regular mammograms and how often you should have them. A mammogram is recommended every 1 to 2 years starting at age 40 or 50. So it's especially important for you to get that mammogram. Know this: Breast cancer risk increases with age. For women, a breast exam and mammogram.It recommends talking with your doctor about the pros and cons of screening if you are ages 55 to 69. The task force says there is moderate certainty that the benefits of screening for prostate cancer - measuring a man's prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level - do not outweigh the harms in men ages 70 and older. Sigmoidoscopy (every 5 years) paired with fecal occult blood testing (every 3 years).The risks and benefits of these screening methods vary: Talk to your doctor to see what's best for you. You may need to be screened earlier and more frequently if you have risk factors. The task force recommends screening in adults beginning at age 50 and continuing until age 75. Take heed of any weight gain you could be robbing yourself of good health. Then, that fat goes to your waist! Also, you don't burn calories as well as before because your body's metabolism is slowing down. Welcome to the weight gain triple whammy: Muscle is replaced by fat as we get older. Your heart, not to mention your arteries, brain, eyes, and kidneys, will thank you later. You may need screening more often if your pressure is higher than normal or if you have other risk factors. Get your blood pressure checked by a health care provider every year, even if your blood pressure is normal. You could be one of millions of Americans who have high blood pressure and don't know it. Your doctor may recommend other tests based on your personal health profile. These are simple medical tests that can be done or ordered when you visit your regular doctor. Just because you are older than 60, don't think you can't be independent, vital, and healthy.īut do you know what to do to stay healthy? The United States Preventive Services Task Force and other specialty groups have put together the following recommendations to help keep seniors healthy, happy, and safe.
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