Tune Up Your Body: A Health Checklist for Every Age Trisha Pasricha, MD - The Washington Post
go to original January 5, 2024

Here’s a healthy new habit to start in 2024: Make January the month you schedule all your preventive care appointments for the year.

As a physician, I often hear from patients who tell me they had no idea that they were due for a screening test. By making January your medical planning month, you’ll mark appointment dates on the calendar right now so you don’t have to worry about it later.

I’ve created an easy checklist, based on recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and other organizations, to help you identify the screenings and checkups everyone needs.

What to know:

• Ages 20 to 39
• Ages 40 to 49
• Ages 50 to 59
• Ages 60 and older

ALL AGES

These are the health screenings, checkups and vaccinations that everybody needs, from your 20s to midlife to older age. Screening guidelines can vary depending on your personal health history, so remember to talk to your provider about your individual needs.

Blood pressure: Get your blood pressure checked every three to five years. (Anything above 120/80 mm Hg is considered abnormal.) The USPSTF recommends that those at higher risk, including all African Americans, get tested at least every year.

Cholesterol: Catching high cholesterol early gives you a chance to lower your risk of heart disease. Most otherwise healthy adults should aim for an LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, of less than 100 mg/dL. Men should start regular screening for hyperlipidemia at the age of 35. Women should start at age 45. (Anyone with risk factors such as smoking or family history may be advised to screen sooner.) Depending on the results, repeat screening every three to five years.

Type 2 diabetes: Get screened every three years for Type 2 diabetes starting at age 35 with a simple blood test called a hemoglobin A1C. If you’re overweight or have a family history of diabetes, hypertension or high cholesterol, your doctor may test more frequently.

Depression: Depression can sometimes manifest in subtle ways like difficulty concentrating. If you have any concerns, talk to your provider to get more help.

Hepatitis B and C: The CDC recommends screening those 18 or older for hepatitis B and C at least once in their lifetimes. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C has shifted affects multiple generations, including millennials, Gen Xers and baby boomers.

HIV: Get screened for HIV at least once in your lifetime, or more often if you’re at higher risk. Men who have sex with men are the most commonly affected by HIV, but about 1 in 5 new cases are among those reporting heterosexual contact, and the majority of these were women.

Cancer Screening

Skin cancer: The USPSTF doesn’t recommend skin screenings, but you should talk to your primary care physician about any suspicious lesions, including those that are new or change in color, shape and size.

Annual or Booster Vaccinations

Flu: Getting the annual vaccine can lower your risk of illness and prevent you from spreading it to older friends and relatives. Flu shots become even more important as you get older.

Covid-19: Make sure you’re up to date with boosters that cover the latest strains. The vaccine also can reduce the risk of long covid, which affects about 1 in 5 Americans who have ever had the virus.

Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough): You probably were vaccinated for Tdap as a baby and then received a booster later in childhood. All adults age 18 and older should get a booster every 10 years. Check with your primary care provider when your last shot was and make sure you’re all caught up.

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Related: Are You Fit for Your Age? Try Our New Year’s Tune-Up to Find Out (Washington Post)