Show #418 Airing Sunday, 1/27/08
An ounce of prevention. . . you know the saying, and you know it's true. But when it comes to preventive medicine, many people ignore this adage. What's preventing you from protecting yourself? Here to explain why being proactive can really help you live a better and healthier life is Dr. Nicholas Dreher, Associate Medical Director of Primary Care Services for Kaiser Permanente.
Question: Let me guess: most people only call to set up a doctor appointment when they're not feeling well. True?
Answer: Yes. Most people pick up the phone and call for a reason. They are most likely either afraid (a colleague has cancer, they are concerned about a disease because of family history) or they are in pain and are seeking treatment.
Question: Is that good?
Answer: No. While those who make proactive doctor's appointments are a significant minority, screenings based on age, sex, family history, and personal history are available that can help you live a healthier, higher quality life.
Question: What are some of these screenings?
Answer: There are many, so today we're going to look at those screenings deemed most important by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
Question: What are the most important screenings?
Answer: These are common health screenings for people over the age of 50. In saying which are deemed most important, we are assuming are healthy, without symptoms, and have no significant family history of the disease in question. A change in any of these factors means that the importance of the screening for you may be different.
The following screenings have an A rating, which means they are highly recommended.
- Blood pressure and cholesterol checks are strongly recommended.
- Women should be receiving pap tests every year up to age 65.
- Those between ages 50 and 80 will need colorectal screenings.
Question: Are there other screenings we should have?
Answer: Those over the age of 65 should be screened for osteoporosis. If you are a woman who weighs less than 150 pounds, you should start your screenings at age 60.
Women should have mammograms between the ages of 50 and 69.
Those over 65 should be screened for an abdominal aortic aneurysm, especially if they are a man who smokes.
Seniors should also be screened for depression.
Question: Are these painful?
Answer: Most of these are non-invasive and virtually painless.
Don't let fear prevent you from getting preventive screenings. For more information on keeping yourself healthy, give Kaiser a call. Mention Golden Opportunities, and you can receive a free copy of the Healthwise Handbook. The number's next. My thanks to Dr. Nick Dreher.
