What can you do to help yourself stay healthy and prevent disease? • Visit your
doctor as he/she recommends for routine check ups. • Take medicines as ...
Be Your Own Bodyguard
What can you do to help yourself stay healthy and prevent disease? • •
Visit your doctor as he/she recommends for routine check ups. Take medicines as prescribed and get certain tests done, including:.
- Cholesterol checks – for men, at least every five years starting at age 35. For women, regularly starting at age 45. - Blood pressure – have your blood pressure checked at least every two years, or as your doctor advises. - Colorectal cancer screening – begin regular screening for colorectal cancer at age 50. Talk to your doctor about your family history of colorectal cancer and schedule screenings as he/she advises. - Diabetes tests – have a test to screen for diabetes if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. - Depression – if you’ve felt “down,” sad or hopeless and have gotten little pleasure from activities you used to enjoy for the last two weeks straight, talk to your doctor about whether he or she can screen you for depression. Depression is treatable. And your doctor can help you.
Sources: AHRQ Focus on Research: Prevention Research Highlights. AHRQ Publication No. 02-M018, March 2002. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/news/f ocus/focprev.htm Men: Stay Healthy at Any Age—Checklist for Your Next Checkup. AHRQ Publication No. APPIP03-0011, Revised February 2004. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthymen.htm Women: Stay Healthy at Any Age—Checklist for Your Next Checkup. AHRQ Publication No. APPIP03-0008, January 2004. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/healthywom.htm Chronic Disease Overview. National Center for Chronic Diseas e Prevention and Health Promotion. November 2005. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/overview.htm#2
This information is intended for educational purposes only, and should not be interpreted as medical advice. Please consult your physician for advice about changes that may affect your health.
