Health screenings can find a condition before symptoms appear. They help catch diseases or conditions early, when they’re less advanced and easier to treat.

The screenings you need usually depend on your age, sex, and family history. Your doctor may suggest you have some health screenings at an earlier age or more often if you have increased risk factors for certain diseases.

Screening Tests Have Two Primary Benefits

• Early detection: Screening tests can discover diseases in their early and most treatable stages.
• An increased incentive to change: People who learn they have borderline high cholesterol or indications of prediabetes, for example, can take lifestyle steps to reduce their risk of developing a life-threatening disease.

Health Screenings Recommended for Adult Women

• Blood pressure and weight every two years
• Pap test at least every three years to screen for cervical cancer starting at age 21 or three years after having sex for the first time
• Mammogram every one to two years starting at age 40 to screen for breast cancer
• Colorectal cancer test starting at age 50
• Cholesterol test every three to five years starting at age 45
• Bone density test at age 65 to screen for osteoporosis
• Sexually transmitted disease tests for women who have unprotected sex

Health Screenings Recommended for Adult Men

• Blood pressure and weight every two years
• Prostate cancer test starting at age 40
• Colorectal cancer test starting at age 50
• Cholesterol test every three to five years starting at age 45
• Sexually transmitted disease tests for men who have unprotected sex

For more information, visit the Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality at www.ahrq.gov.

© StayWell Custom Communications. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from StayWell Custom Communications.