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Live Healthy Longer
“The key to staying healthy later in life lies in what you do today. Following a healthy lifestyle by maintaining your regular screenings and checkups can improve your chances of enjoying a long and fulfilling life.” — Rani Rao, MD, board-certified geriatrician for Loyola University Health System
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, early detection is the best weapon against cancer, heart disease, diabetes and numerous other conditions. Screening tests help physicians determine your risk for certain diseases, as well as the best course of action if treatment is needed.
“Screening tests can help guide us toward effective treatments for diseases before they become serious,” Rani Rao, MD, board-certified geriatrician on staff at Loyola University Health System, who specializes in the care of aging adults, said. “Those in the high-risk category — people with a family history of disease — need specific tests more frequently, while the average patient can follow well-established medical guidelines that dictate what test to get and when to get it.” |
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Where should I start?
As a general rule, you should visit your physician for regular health screenings annually, more often if you have an existing condition or are at risk due to family history or other risk factors.
“A good place to begin is with healthy eating habits and exercise,” Dr. Rao said. “If you eat a low-fat diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and exercise at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, you are going to be in a much better health position as you age.”
Don’t forget to incorporate high-fiber, whole-wheat foods and lean meats such as poultry and fish into your diet to ensure you get the nutrients you need to maintain a strong and active body.
How do I know what tests are right for me, and when I should have them?
Dr. Rao recommends the following screening tests:
Mammogram. For women ages 40 and over, a screening mammogram should be completed every year or two to check for breast cancer.
Fasting lipoprotein panel. This tests your total cholesterol — HDL (good) cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides — and should be completed every five years beginning at age 20.
Blood pressure. An accurate measure of your risk for heart disease, blood pressure screenings should be scheduled at least every two years. Physicians now begin this screening at age 3 due to the rise in childhood obesity.
Diabetes screening. You should begin regular diabetes screenings at age 45. If you are obese, have a family history of the disease or suffer from high blood pressure, you should have the test sooner as directed by your physician.
Colon cancer screening. Starting at age 50, you should have a fecal occult stool test each year, a flexible sigmoidoscopy or a double contrast barium enema every five years or a colonoscopy every 10 years.
Pap smear. This test should begin at age 21, or as soon as you become sexually active. A way to detect cervical cancer, Pap tests should be performed once every three years, or more frequently if you are at an increased risk for cancer.
Bone density. Used to check for osteoporosis, this test should be completed once every two years for women ages 65 and older.
Prostate-specific antigen test. Men ages 50 and older should have a discussion with their primary care physician about the risks and benefits of doing this cancer screening test once a year.
Don’t forget to see your physician for regular checkups. To find a Loyola physician, call (888) LUHS-888 or visit www.LoyolaMedicine.org and click on “Choose a Doctor.”
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