I was just scrolling on Facebook and saw they have a "Preventative Health" recommendations from health organizations based on your age and gender so I thought I would share what it said. When was the last time you had a tune-up?
Blood Pressure
American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommend you get your blood pressure taken once per year. As a ND I take your blood pressure at every visit!
- People age 20 or older should get this test at every health care visit.
- A blood pressure test is free.
- Some pharmacies and grocery stores have self-service machines to measure your blood pressure.
- It only takes a couple minuets
- Risk factors that increase your chances of developing high blood pressure include smoking, diabetes, being overweight, high cholesterol, unhealthy diet, drinking too much alcohol and physical inactivity.
Healthy blood pressure is a sign of good heart health. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms, so a test is the only way to detect it.
Cholesterol
American Heart Association recommends you check your cholesterol every 4-6 years? I 100% disagree this is TOO long of a time to check, especially with what we have done with our food! I do a yearly check on most of my patients and if you have risk factors, even more often.
- A cholesterol test is usually covered by most insurance
- The best way to prevent cholesterol problems is to know your numbers.
- LDL is known as your "bad" cholesterol
- HDL is known as your "good" cholesterol
- Too much bad or not enough good increases the risk of cholesterol building up in the arteries which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
- The best cholesterol test is done after a 12 hour fast!
Pap Test and HPV Test
American Cancer Society Pap Test and HPV Test
- Females ages 30 to 65 should get a PAP test and HPV test every 5 years or a PAP test (without HPV) every 3 years. If you've had a hysterectomy it's usually not needed.
- Cervical cancer is a common cause of cancer death in women.
- HPV is a risk for cervical cancer along with smoking and a weakened immune system.
- If you've had the HPV vaccine (ugh), you still need to have a PAP and HPV test conducted.
Stool Blood Test
American Cancer Society recommends a stool blood test to look for hidden blood in the stool yearly for people age 45 to 75.
- This test can be collected at home and mailed in and tested in a lab.
- Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer diagnosis in both men and women. It's the 2nd most common cause of cancer death.
- Being overweight, physical inactivity, smoking, heavy alcohol use can all increase the risk.
Other regular lab work should include thyroid, hormone, inflammation, some vitamins and blood sugar AT MINIMUM once per year, but likely more often if you are irregular (which is very common!).
So are you ready to get your blood tested? Let's get you scheduled! Click HERE to schedule!
Happy New Year!