Men’s Health Tune-Up Schedule: Medical Tests

Must-have medical tests

• Blood Pressure. High blood pressure can cause serious organ damage or death. But screening for it is easy and reliable. The task force recommends screening all adults for high blood pressure, and a blood pressure check is part of most routine doctor’s visits. In some cases, however, the stress of visiting a doctor may cause your blood pressure to go up. James King, MD, a family physician in Tennessee, recommends also getting tested at a drugstore or using a home testing kit to get a more reliable reading.
• Cholesterol. The task force recommends cholesterol screening for all men 35 and up. It also recommends screening for men 20 and up if they have other risk factors for heart disease. Examples might be diabetes or a family history of heart disease or high cholesterol. After that, the task force suggests cholesterol checks every 5 years or more often if your cholesterol is borderline high. How long must this go on? Cholesterol levels are less likely to increase after age 65. So screening may be less necessary after that age.
• Colorectal cancer. Colon cancer kills more than 56,000 people every year. But the CDC says that nearly 60% of those deaths could be prevented if everyone was screened properly and treated appropriately. The task force strongly recommends screening of all men (and women)age 50 and up for colorectal cancer. People at higher risk may need to be screened at a younger age. This includes people who have a close relative who had colorectal polyps or cancer or who have inflammatory bowel disease. There are several techniques for screening. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages for individual patients. The ideal interval between screenings depends on the test. But CDC data from 2005 suggest that nearly 42 million Americans over 50 have not yet been screened appropriately. “The best [test] is the one that is done,” Kellerman says.
• Immunizations. Immunity can fade over time, and vaccine recommendations change over the years. For men over 50, a tetanus booster is recommended every 10 years. Flu shots are suggested every year for this age group. And a pneumococcal vaccine is recommended once at age 65.