Men's Health Check-up List

The best way to stay healthy is to practice a healthy lifestyle. That includes a healthy diet that is low in fats and includes lots of fruits and vegetables. It includes not smoking (Read about "Quit Smoking") and drinking alcohol only in moderation. (Read about "Alcoholism") Another part of a healthy life style is getting the proper screening tests and acting appropriately on the information they provide.

Top health experts from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggest that when you go for your next checkup, talk to your health care provider (HCP) about how you can stay healthy no matter what your age. Our SCREENING TEST CHECKLIST can help. Simply click on the link for the form. Then, either fill it out online and print it, or print it out and fill it in by hand. Either way, please make enough copies, because any information you enter will NOT be saved once you close the window, so as to protect your privacy. When you're done, simply close the form window, and continue using our site.

Screening tests, such as colorectal cancer (Read about "Colorectal Cancer") tests, can find diseases early when they are easier to treat. Some men need certain screening tests earlier, or more often, than others. Talk to your doctor about which of the tests listed below are right for you, when you should have them, and how often.

The Task Force has made the following recommendations, based on scientific evidence, about which screening tests you should have. Remember these are only recommendations and your personal situation may indicate that you should have these tests earlier and more often then these recommendations indicate.

• Obesity - Have your body mass index calculated to screen for obesity. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. (Read about "Body Mass Index" "Obesity")
• Cholesterol checks - Have your cholesterol checked regularly starting at age 45. (Read about "Cholesterol") If you are younger than 45, talk to your doctor about whether to have your cholesterol checked if you smoke, have diabetes or if heart disease runs in your family. (Read about "Quit Smoking" "Diabetes" "Coronary Heart Disease" "Family Health History")
• Blood pressure - Have your blood pressure checked at least every 2 years, more often as you age. Some racial and ethnic groups have a higher risk and should discuss the issue with their HCP. (Read about "Hypertension: High Blood Pressure")
• Colorectal cancer tests - Begin regular screening for colorectal cancer starting at age 50. Your doctor can help you decide which test is right for you. How often you need to be tested will depend on which test you have. (Read about "Colorectal Cancer")
• Diabetes tests - Have a test to screen for diabetes if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. (Read about "Diabetes")
• Depression - If you've felt "down," sad or hopeless and have felt little interest or pleasure in doing things for 2 weeks straight, talk to your doctor about whether he or she can screen you for depression. (Read about "Depressive Illnesses")
• Sexually transmitted diseases - Talk to your doctor to see whether you should be screened for sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV. (Read about "STD's" and about HIV in "HIV / AIDS")
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm - If you are between the ages of 65 and 75 and have ever smoked (100 or more cigarettes during your lifetime), you need to be screened once for abdominal aortic aneurysm, which is an abnormally large or swollen blood vessel in your abdomen. (Read about "Aneurysms")
• Prostate cancer screening - Talk to your doctor about the possible benefits and harms of prostate cancer screening if you are considering having a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test or digital rectal examination (DRE). (Read about "The Prostate")

Should you take medicines to prevent disease?

If the screening tests show problems, you can discuss with your HCP the actions you need to take to regain your health. They can vary from nothing, which is also called watchful waiting, to lifestyle changes and/or medical procedures such as an operation. (Read about "Medical Procedures")

There are also some medications that have been shown to stop or at least slow down some medical problems. According to the Task Force, they include:

• Aspirin - Talk to your doctor about taking aspirin to prevent heart disease (Read about "Aspirin and Heart") if you are older than 40, or if you are younger than 40 and have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or if you smoke.
• Immunizations
  • Stay up-to-date with your immunizations. (Read about "Immunizations")
  • Have a flu shot every year starting at age 50. (Read about "Influenza")
  • Have a tetanus-diphtheria shot every 10 years.
  • Have a pneumonia shot once at age 65 (you may need it earlier if you have certain health problems, such as lung disease). (Read about "Pneumonia")
  • Talk to your doctor to see whether you need hepatitis B shots. (Read about "Hepatitis B")

What else can you do to stay healthy?

• Don't Smoke - But if you do smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting. You can take medicine and get counseling to help you quit. Make a plan and set a quit date. Tell your family, friends and co-workers you are quitting. Ask for their support. (Read about "Quit Smoking")
• Healthy Diet - Eat a variety of foods, including fruit, vegetables, animal or vegetable protein (such as meat, fish, chicken, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu or tempeh) and grains (such as rice). Limit the amount of saturated fat you eat. (Read about "Food Labels")
• Exercise - Walk (Read about "Walking for Health"), dance, ride a bike, rake leaves or do any other physical activity you enjoy. Start small and work up to a total of 20-30 minutes most days of the week. (Read about "Getting Started on Fitness")
• Healthy Weight - Balance the number of calories you eat with the number you burn off by your activities. (Read about "Burning Calories") Remember to watch portion sizes. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about what or how much to eat. (Read about "Losing Weight")
• Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation - If you drink alcohol, have no more than 2 drinks a day. A standard drink is one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. (Read about "Alcoholism")