By: Kelsey Kienert, MD with Ascension Wisconsin
Preventive care is the most important step you can take to manage and improve your health. Many of the top risk factors leading to illness and premature death are preventable, and it is up to you to take responsibility for your health and quality of life.
It is easier to do that when you have the right information from your primary care provider.
Why should everyone have a primary care provider?
It is important to have primary care providers for you and your family. Your primary care doctor not only helps you get better when you are sick, but they also help ensure your well-being and prevent illness.
Receiving an annual exam by your primary care doctor is the best thing to do to stay healthy. Just as you would have your car maintained to avoid a mechanical issue, an annual “tune‐up” gives your doctor a chance to assess your risks and perform general screening tests to help catch things like diabetes, hypertension and other health issues before they become advanced.
Preventative screenings
Keeping track of all the preventive health measures we need to remember can be difficult. Here are some preventive measures women and men should keep in mind as they age.
Preventative screenings for women:
Women in their 20s
- Get your first Pap smear at age 21.
- Get blood pressure/cholesterol tested.
- Get an annual exam and discuss family health history with your doctor.
Women in their 30s
- Start co-testing for cervical cancer (Pap smear plus HPV test).
Women in their 40s
- Get your first mammogram and then get them every 1 or 2 years.
- Get screened for diabetes.
- Check blood pressure/Cholesterol.
- Discuss peri-menopause with your doctor.
- Get your colorectal screening. You may need to be screened earlier if you have a family history of colorectal cancer.
Women in their 50s
- Continue getting mammograms annually.
- Discuss menopause with your doctor.
Women in their 60s
- The ‘Welcome to Medicare Preventive Physical Examination’ – This visit includes important cardiac screening options.
- Annual wellness visit (free if eligible through Medicare) – an important benefit that includes a variety of preventive screenings and a thorough review of medications.
- Osteoporosis screening (recommended at age 65).
Preventative screenings for men:
Men ages 18 to 39
- Physical exam – Every few years. Talk to your provider about preventive screenings and vaccinations, lifestyle habits, and potential risk for future problems.
- Blood pressure/cholesterol – Have your blood pressure and cholesterol checked at least every 2 years.
- Diabetes screening (blood glucose test) – Get screened for diabetes if you have high blood pressure.
- Skin cancer screening – Talk to your doctor to see if he or she would recommend routine screenings and periodic total-body examinations.
Men in their 40s and 50s
- Prostate cancer – Talk to your doctor about when you should get screened for prostate cancer and which type of screening is best for you.
- Colorectal screening – Get tested. You may need to be screened earlier if you have a family history of colorectal cancer. The recommended screening schedules and benefits usually depend on the type of test used: colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or fecal occult blood testing.
- Hepatitis C – Get screened, especially if born between 1945 and 1965.
- Lung cancer – If you are 50 to 80 years old and are a heavy smoker or a past smoker who quit within the last 15 years, get a low-dose CT scan every year.
Men ages 60 and up
- Annual wellness visit – If eligible through Medicare, individuals ages 65 and up can utilize this free benefit that can open the door to other preventive services. This visit includes important cardiac screening options.
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening – This is a recommended, one-time screening by ultrasound for men ages 65 to 75 years old who have ever smoked.
Talk with your Ascension Wisconsin doctor about what screening options are right for you. If you don’t have a primary care doctor, go to GetAscensionWisconsinCare.com to find one.
Kelsey Kienert, MD, is an internal medicine doctor with Ascension Wisconsin. She provides personalized primary care for conditions that affect adults as they age. Dr. Kienert sees patients at Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin – Main Street clinic in Neenah. To schedule an appointment, call 920-727-4200.