Sunday, June 28, 2015
For optimal health, men should have an annual physical and be screened for certain diseases and conditions that are prevalent among men as they age. Recommended health screenings for men:
Blood pressure: Provides early detection of hypertension or pre-hypertension, which if left untreated, can increase the risk of heart attack, heart failure, strokes and kidney disease.
Cholesterol: People with high cholesterol have about twice the risk of heart disease as people with lower levels. Lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk of a heart attack, needing heart bypass surgery or angioplasty, and dying of heart disease.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: All men who are sexually active and their partners should be tested regularly for STDs. Early treatment can cure many STDs, lessen their symptoms and/or make the disease less likely to spread.
Diabetes: Other health conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, increase the risk of developing diabetes. Diabetes can cause problems with the heart, eyes, feet, kidneys, nerves and other body parts.
Prostate cancer: The disease is rare before age 50, and is curable when caught early, while symptoms are limited to the prostate. More than 70 percent of men are diagnosed at 65 or older. A prostate check is usually performed annually, as part of a man’s annual physical, beginning at 50. African American men and those with a family history of prostate cancer should discuss screening at 45.
Colorectal cancer: Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States in men and women. All men should have a colorectal exam beginning at 50. If there is a family history of colorectal cancer, screening should begin 10 years earlier than the age at which the relative was diagnosed.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Test: The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to the abdomen, pelvis and legs. An AAA occurs when an area of the aorta becomes very large or balloons out and can burst. It can be life-threatening.
Annual checkup: All of the tests circle back to the importance of visiting one’s primary-care doctor once a year for a checkup which enables the doctor to keep track on age and what tests are needed.
For information on any of these tests, visit the Health Education section on www.ValleyCareofOhio.net.
Sources: Drs. Anthony Lattanzio and Vincent Marino, board-certified ValleyCare Medical Group family medicine physician and medical staff members at Northside Medical Center and Trumbull Memorial Hospital, respectively/ValleyCare Health System of Ohio/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.