You get one body to live with and you want to keep it moving and functioning. Getting older shouldn’t automatically mean you slow down. One of the best ways to stay on the move is prevention.
Key screenings and tests can help doctors find medical problems early — before they cause bigger problems that make them more complicated to treat.
Don’t let the cost or lack of time keep you from having these tests. Think about your health screening in the context of having some relaxed time away from home, for example. With Wellbe’s offer you can take all the key tests while having your holiday on the sunny Croatian Adriatic coast, in an internationally certified polyclinic in one day.
Here are just a few recommended health screening tests, but you can choose your own program, adding, for example, an eye test or a dermal (skin) examination:
- 1. Blood pressure check. High blood pressure can cause a heart attack, a stroke, and eye and kidney problems – without you even knowing your blood pressure is high. That’s why it’s important to get your blood pressure checked, even if you don’t think you have a problem. .
- Cholesterol screening. One of its main risk factors for heart disease is a high blood cholesterol level.
It’s recommended that you start getting your cholesterol tested at least once every four to six years beginning at age 20. A simple blood test shows your levels and risk for heart disease.
As you age, your risk for heart disease increases. If you are in your 50s, it’s vitally important to continue getting screened.
- Mammogram. As a screening test for breast cancer, experts agree that a mammogram is the best way to find it early. There’s some debate about how often you should get one.
- Some recommend that all women between ages 50 and 74 have a mammogram once every 2 years.
- However, some international cancer societies recommend a mammogram each year for women after age 40.
Talk with your doctor to determine the best schedule for you, based on your family history and other risk factors.
- Colon cancer screening. Colon cancer is one of the leading cause of cancer deaths. When you turn 50, your chance of developing it increases. So — unless you’re at an above-average risk — age 50 is when your doctor may recommend you to start getting screened. The good news: there are several tests that can help detect colon cancer early. Some commonly performed screenings include:
- Colonoscopy, once every 10 years
- Fecal occult blood test, once a year
- Sigmoidoscopy, every 5 years, combined with a fecal occult blood test every 3 years
- Pap test. This test checks for cervical cancer, which is easy to treat when caught early. Although your risk of cervical cancer decreases with age, your need for routine Pap tests don’t stop with menopause.
- Bone mineral density scan. This screening checks your risk for osteoporosis. It’s recommended for all women at age 65. If you are at high risk, your doctor may recommend this test once you turn 60.
Men, ages 70 and older, may also benefit from this screening.
- AAA screening. Experts recommend a one-time abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening for men ages 65 to 75 who have smoked at any point in their lives. This ultrasound screens for an enlarged blood vessel in the abdominal area that can cause severe bleeding and death if it ruptures. If your blood vessel is enlarged, surgery can often correct it.
- Diabetes screening. More than 9% of population has diabetes — including nearly 28% of people who are undiagnosed. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause complications such as blindness, kidney disease, and the need for limb amputation. Ask your doctor about how often you need diabetes screenings.
Independently of the results of various test you chose to take, with Wellbe partner clinic you will always feel you are in good hands.
