Turning 55? Get These 10 Screenings
Keeping close tabs on your health can make a difference
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
If you have 55 or so candles on your birthday cake this year, consider talking with your doctor about scheduling screening or testing for a few age-related medical concerns. It’s a good time to have a baseline established for your vital signs if you have not had a physical in a while.
“Do you believe in taking your car for an oil change or do you go when your car breaks down on the highway?” said physician Rajeev Saini at Northway Medical Associates in Baldwinsville and Fulton. “You want to know about problems before they happen.”
Unless recommended, you won’t need to go to a specialist. But you should ask your primary care provider about:
1. Blood pressure
Saini said that most providers take blood pressure readings at any physical. Testing for hypertension (high blood pressure) is important because it relates to higher risk to the heart (heart attack), brain (stroke) and kidneys (kidney disease). Lifestyle and dietary changes and medication can treat hypertension.
2. Blood work
Saini said that a full blood panel typically includes testing for cholesterol and blood glucose levels. High cholesterol can raise risk of heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes. Blood glucose levels can determine risk for diabetes. Your likelihood may be greater than you think as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that one-tenth of Americans has diabetes and that 96 million are prediabetic.
Lifestyle and dietary changes or medication can help improve cholesterol, diabetes and prediabetes.
3. Breast cancer and cervical cancer
Pap smears, used to test for cervical cancer, may seem like a test for only women in their reproductive years; however, “even at 50, you’ll still need to do Pap smears through age 65,” Saini said.
They can be provided every three to five years instead of annually starting at 55. He advised annual breast exams to shift to every other year beginning at age 55.
Justin Beebe, nurse practitioner at Fulton PrimeCare, said that women who smoke should especially remain vigilant about their cervical health as “there’s a strong correlation between smoking and cervical cancer.”
For breast cancer, knowing your body can make a difference between effective, early treatment and a much more challenging case. Beebe said that checking for lumps and bumps while bathing and gaining familiarity with what’s normal can help providers know when a tumor began.
“Having a timeline is huge,” Beebe said. “It’s a way to be your own advocate so we can expedite treatment.”
Women with average risk should start breast screening and mammography at age 50.
Cancer treatments can include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
4. Prostate cancer
Starting at age 45, men at risk for prostate cancer should have a rectal exam and prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test to measure the PSA level, as that runs higher in men with prostate cancer. Treating prostate cancer can involve surgery, radiation or for slow-growing prostate cancer, a wait-and-monitor approach. In a similar vein, those at risk for lung cancer should discuss screening.
5 . Colorectal cancer
Colonoscopy, noninvasive virtual colonoscopy and at-home fecal tests should start at 45, so if you’ve never had one, there’s no time like the present to start.
“If you haven’t had that conversation yet, I recommend at least starting to talk about it,” Beebe said. “One-third of people with colon cancer don’t have family history. Especially if you have family history, advocate for yourself.”
Most providers continue offering them through age 75. Providers can immediately remove and test any discovered polyps with a standard colonoscopy. However, positive results discovered by the virtual and at-home tests will require a follow-up colonoscopy for removing polyps.
6. Lung cancer
Gregory Faughnan, physician at St. Joseph’s Family Medicine in Camillus, said that an annual, low-dose CT scan is in order for people 50-80 who have a 20 pack-year smoking history. This means someone who smoked a pack a day for 20 years or half a pack a year for 40 years.
“This is particularly for those who are smoking or who quit smoking within the past 15 years,” Faughnan said. “The goal is to catch and monitor potential lung cancer before it has a chance to grow or spread.”
He also recommends for anyone between 65 and 75 who’s ever smoked to receive a one-time scan to prevent an abdominal aortic aneurysm.
“If it’s negative, you don’t need to have it done again,” Faughnan said.
7. Vaccines
Go over your vaccine history with your provider. Some are age-related, like RSV and also shingles, even if you have never had chicken pox and are over age 50.
“Chances are good that you were exposed to chicken pox when you were younger,” Faughnan said.
Pneumonia vaccine is recommended for those 65-plus unless another health concern warrants earlier vaccination. Every 10 years, you should have a tetanus vaccine. Discuss COVID-19 boosters as well. Of course, annual flu vaccine is also a good idea to prevent a nasty illness.
8. Skin/mole
People of any age can experience skin cancer. However, with longer sun exposure comes greater risk. Ask your provider to perform a skin examination to check for suspicious moles. When removed early — typically in an in-office procedure — no further treatment is necessary.
“There’s not currently any hard recommendations for screening for skin cancer,” Faughnan said. “If you have concerning moles and things that change, mention it to your doctor. There’s such a wide spectrum of moles. Talk with your doctor if you have something that concerns you.”
9. Vision and hearing
Perhaps you don’t feel like your vision has changed much in the past few years. However, Faughnan thinks it’s still a good idea to see the optometrist, as this provider can check for the presence of eye diseases and recommend ways to help care for your eyes and accommodate any age-related changes.
Even if your TV remains at the same volume you’ve always had it, a baseline hearing exam can help providers know how much your hearing has changed if you someday develop some hearing problems.
Faughnan said that there’s no guideline as to when to start hearing exams. However “about 85% of people older than 65 would meet criteria to benefit from hearing aids, but only about 20% do.”
Treating hearing issues early on helps patients better adapt to using hearing instruments and prevent isolation and other social issues that arise from untreated hearing loss.
10. Bone density
“If possible, get your first bone density test even before menopause,” said Susan E. Brown, Ph.D, certified nutritionist and director of The Center for Better Bones in East Syracuse.
During menopause, bone loss accelerates, so testing beforehand can provide a benchmark.
As for those told they should take medication for bone loss, Brown advises a medical work-up to determine if they have any underlying reasons for bone loss.
Of course, these are general guidelines. When you should schedule screenings and tests relies upon your personal and family health history. Some people need to begin screening and testing for certain conditions younger than others. Your own comfort level also matters, so discuss all of these factors with your primary provider.