Health & wellness
BY AMIRA VAN LEEUWEN
Learn about basic health screening guidelines for men and women Screenings for cancer and chronic diseases are one of the main roles of primary care physicians, said Mariel Swinney Bagley, a family medicine physician at Christus Trinity Clinic in San Marcos. The details Primary care physicians recommend various screening tests based on age; sex; family history; comorbid conditions, such as obesity and diabetes; and environmental risk factors, such as smoking. “An appointment with a primary care provider can identify your personal risk factors and what you should be screened for,” Bagley said in an email to Community Impact . “Different societies might have slightly different recommendations and guidelines, and selecting the best test and testing interval for your individualized risk factors is where your
A guide for common screenings
Disease Screening test Abdominal aortic aneurysm Men ages 65-75 who have ever smoked Abdominal ultrasound Breast cancer Women age 40+ Annual mammogram Population
Pap smear every 3 years (ages 21-29); with HPV co-testing every 5 years (ages 30-65) Colonoscopy every 10 years (preferred) or Cologuard every 3 years A1c or fasting glucose blood testing annually
Cervical cancer
Women ages 21-65
Colon cancer
Adults age 45+
Adults ages 35 to 65 with obesity or overweight
Diabetes or prediabetes
Hepatitis C
Adults age 18+
Hepatitis C blood testing
HIV
Adolescents and adults ages 15 to 65 HIV blood testing
Adults ages 50 to 80 years who have a 20 pack per year smoking history Postmenopausal women age 65+
Lung cancer
Low-dose lung CT annually
Osteoporosis
DEXA bone density study
SOURCE: CHRISTUS TRINITY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
“It is important to keep in mind that screening is for asymptomatic individuals, and anyone with symptoms of cancer or a chronic disease should be seen by a primary care provider for specific testing as soon as possible,” Bagley noted.
primary care physician can guide you.” Digging deeper
Numerous types of basic health screenings are available; however, there are more advanced and nuanced guidelines for certain populations.
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