What is Preventative Care for Men’s Healthcare Services?

You should see your health care provider regularly, even if you feel healthy. The purpose is to:

 

  1. Screen for medical issues.
  2. Encourage a healthy lifestyle.
  3. Assess your risk for future medical problems.
  4. Update vaccinations and other preventive care services.
  5. Help you get acquainted with your provider in the event of an illness.

 

What Exactly is Preventative Care?

 

Regular checkups will help you avoid problems in the future. As an example, the only way to find out if you have high blood pressure is to have it checked regularly. High blood sugar and high cholesterol levels also might not have symptoms in the initial stages. Quick blood tests will check for these conditions.

 

Below are screening guidelines for men ages 40 to 64.

 

Blood Pressure Screening

 

You should have your blood pressure checked at least once a year or more often if:

 

  1. You have heart disease, diabetes, kidney problems, are overweight, or have other health conditions.
  2. You have a family member with high blood pressure.
  3. Your blood pressure top number is from 120 to 129 mm Hg, or the bottom number is from 70 to 79 mm Hg.

 

Cholesterol Screening

 

It is recommended to start cholesterol screening at age 20 and repeat every 4 to 6 years. Have screening more often if:

 

  1. You are taking medicines to control high cholesterol.
  2. You have diabetes, heart disease, kidney problems, high blood pressure, stroke, blood flow problems, or certain other conditions.
  3. Experiencing weight gain, or other changes occur in your lifestyle.

 

Colorectal Cancer Screening

 

If you are under age 45, you may need to be screened if you have a family history of colon cancer or polyps. Screening could also be proactive if you have risk factors like a history of inflammatory bowel disease or polyps. If you are 45 to 75, you need to be screened for colorectal cancer. There are several screening tests available:

 

  1. Colonoscopy every 10 years.
  2. CT colonography every 5 years.
  3. A stool DNA test every 1 to 3 years.
  4. A stool-based fecal occult blood test every year.
  5. Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years.

 

You might need a colonoscopy more often if you have these risk factors:

 

  1. Ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease.
  2. A family history of colorectal cancer or polyps.
  3. A family history of inherited colorectal cancer syndromes.

 

Dental Exam

 

See your dentist twice a year for an exam and cleaning.

 

Eye Exam

 

Have an eye exam every 2 to 4 years for ages 40 to 54 and every 1 to 3 years for ages 55 to 64. More often, it might be beneficial if you have vision problems.

 

Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Screening

 

You should be screened for prediabetes and type 2 diabetes beginning at age 35 if you are overweight or have obesity. Screening should be repeated every 3 years.

 

Immunizations

 

Frequently recommended vaccines include:

 

  1. Flu shot- Get one every year.
  2. COVID-19 vaccine- Recommended for everyone over 6 months of age.
  3. Tetanus-diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine- Have Tdap as one of your tetanus-diphtheria vaccines if you did not receive it as an adolescent.
  4. Tetanus-diphtheria- Receive a booster every 10 years.
  5. Varicella vaccine- Have 2 doses if you have never had chickenpox or the varicella vaccine.
  6. Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine- Receive 1 to 2 doses if you are not already immune to MMR.
  7. Hepatitis B vaccine- Receive 2, 3, or 4 doses, depending on your exact circumstances, if you did not receive these as a child or adolescent, until age 59.
  8. Shingles vaccine- 2 doses after age 50.

 

Infectious Disease Screening

 

All adults aged 18 to 79 should get a one-time test for hepatitis C. All people ages 15 to 65 should get a one-time test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

 

Lung Cancer Screening

 

You should have an annual screening for lung cancer with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) if:

 

  1. You smoke now or have quit within the past 15 years.
  2. You have a twenty-pack-a-year smoking history.
  3. You are 50 to 80 years of age.

 

Osteoporosis Screening

 

If you are between 50 and 69 years old and have risk factors. Risk factors include low body weight, long-term steroid use, smoking, heavy alcohol use, having a fracture after age 50, or a family history.

 

Physical Exam

 

At every exam, you should have your blood pressure, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) checked. During your exam, your provider may ask you about:

 

  1. Your medicines and risk for interactions.
  2. Diet and exercise.
  3. Alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.
  4. Depression and anxiety.

 

Prostate Cancer Screening

 

If you are 55 through 69 years old, you should strongly consider a prostate exam.

 

Skin Exam

 

Your health provider might check your skin for signs of skin cancer.

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