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Millions of people continue to ignore their health because they do not have access to health care or can not afford it, because they do not practice healthy lifestyles, or because they do not take the time to visit their physician for regular check-ups.
Women visit the doctor an estimated 30% more often than men. According to a recent health survey, one-third of American men have not had a checkup in the past year and nine million men have not visit a doctor in five years.
Most people know to change the oil on their car every 3,000 miles, or to worm their pets regularly. Why, then, is it that many don't know (or refuse to believe) that regular check-ups can save lives, even when no symptoms are present? A 1990 AMA study found that the main reasons men don't go to the doctor are fear, denial, embarrassment and threatened masculinity. Admitting pain or other health problems is perceived as a sign of weakness.
As well as remaining informed of your current obvious symptoms and overall state of wellness, it is important to monitor family history, personal history, fitness status, nutrition status, stress levels and lifestyle habits such as smoking and drinking. Important preventable risk factors can be identified through monitoring various blood components such as albumin, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin/total, blood urea nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus, cholesterol, coronary risk factor, creatinine, GGT/LDH, globulin and glucose.
Bearing in mind expense or other factors, every individual should make up his or her mind as to what is necessary after consulting with a doctor. Some types of regular testing may not be strictly necessary in certain cases, such as regular cholesterol monitoring for those on a low-cholesterol diet. On the other hand, an individual's lifestyle choices may give rise to extra testing requirements, such as B12 levels in those who consume no animal products.
For those who already have unresolved health issues, further testing may be required, such as prostate-specific antigen, complete blood count, thyroid, colon cancer, or H. pylori.
Treatment & Prevention
Recommended Regular Screenings (See below for further recommendations):- General physical exam - Every three years from 20 to 39, every two years from 40 to 49 and every year past the age of 50.
- Tetanus booster - The series of combined diptheria-tetanus toxoids (Td) should be completed for adults who have not received the primary series, and all adults should receive Td boosters every 10 years.
- Influenza vaccine - Annually after the age of 65, or earlier if at high risk.
- Pneumococcal vaccine - Recommended for all immunocompetent individuals who are age 65 years and older or otherwise at increased risk for pneumococcal disease.
- Bone density measurement - The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that women aged 65 and older be screened routinely for osteoporosis. The USPSTF recommends that routine screening begin at age 60 for women at increased risk for osteoporotic fractures.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Need For Routine Preventative Health Measures:
Conditions that suggest Need For Routine Preventative Health Measures: | | | | | Circulation |  Hypertension (High Blood PRessure) | Those with high blood pressure should have a yearly eye examination. |
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Organ Health |
Glaucoma| | Regular eye tests are recommended if you are over 40 years old. The test for glaucoma must be performed by a trained person, either an ophthalmologist or a trained ophthalmic optician. The test for glaucoma may not be a part of the standard eye test given and should be requested.
Those diagnosed with glaucoma will need to attend regular follow-up appointments during which any perceived loss of vision must be reported. Those who have had an episode of acute glaucoma should be aware of the early symptoms and consult a doctor immediately should they re-occur. |
Diabetes Type II| | Persons with diabetes must take extra care to be sure to have thorough, periodic eye exams (at least yearly), especially if early signs of visual impairment are noticed. Anyone experiencing a sudden loss of vision, decrease in vision or visual field, flashes of light, or floating spots should contact their eye doctor right away. |
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Risk factors for Need For Routine Preventative Health Measures: | | | | | Family History | Cancer in family members| | Regular screening is highly recommended if your family has a history of cancer. |
 Diabetes in family members| | If you have a family history of high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, diabetes or stroke, you should have your blood pressure tested annually. |
Heart disease in family members
Stroke in family members| | If you have a family history of high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, diabetes or stroke, you should have your blood pressure tested annually. |
Heart attack(s) in mother
Heart attack(s) in father| | If you have a family history of high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, diabetes or stroke, you should have your blood pressure tested annually. |
Hypertension in parents| | If you have a family history of high blood pressure, heart or kidney disease, diabetes or stroke, you should have your blood pressure tested annually. |
 Macular degeneration in family| | Those with diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of vision problems should have a yearly eye examination. |
Glaucoma in close family members| | Those with diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of vision problems should have a yearly eye examination. |
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Lab Values - Chemistries |
Unknown total cholesterol level| | If you don't know your cholesterol levels, or haven't had them checked within the past five years, you should consider this simple test. |
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Personal Background |
No recent health checkup
Counter-indicators:
 Recent health checkup |
Symptoms - Head - Eyes/Ocular |
Having normal uncorrected vision| | If your vision doesn’t require correction and you are under 50, an eye exam (including screening for glaucoma and visual acuity) should be performed every three to five years. |
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Symptoms - Reproductive - General |
No recent/never having had a Pap smear test |
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Recommendations and treatments for Need For Routine Preventative Health Measures:
KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link | | | Proven definite or direct link | | | Strongly counter-indicative |  | | Likely to help |
GLOSSARY
Acute
An illness or symptom of sudden onset, which generally has a short duration.
Alkaline
A substance having a pH above that of neutral water (7.0) when in solution. Signified as pH (potential of Hydrogen), alkaline fluids, such as the blood (pH about 7.4), have the ability to neutralize acids (solutions below pH 7.0). Metabolic wastes are acids, and the alkaline reserve of the blood neutralizes them until they are excreted.
Antigen (Antigenic, Antigens)
A substance, usually protein or protein-sugar complex in nature, which, being foreign to the bloodstream or tissues of an animal, stimulates the formation of specific blood serum antibodies and white blood cell activity. Re-exposure to similar antigen will reactivate the white blood cells and antibody programmed against this specific antigen.
Bilirubin
A waste product of hemoglobin recycling, it is primarily excreted in feces, oxidizing into that familiar brown color (except for beets).
Calcium
The body's most abundant mineral. Its primary function is to help build and maintain bones and teeth. The body also needs calcium to carry nerve signals, keep the heart functioning, contract muscles, clot blood and maintain healthy skin. Calcium helps control blood acid-alkaline balance, plays a role in cell division, muscle growth and iron utilization, activates certain enzymes, and helps transport nutrients through cell membranes. Calcium also forms a cellular cement called ground substance that helps hold cells and tissues together.
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Checkup (Check-up, Checkups, Check-ups)
A thorough physical examination that includes a variety of tests depending on the age, sex and health of the person.
Cholesterol
A waxy, fat-like substance manufactured in the liver and found in all tissues, it facilitates the transport and absorption of fatty acids. In foods, only animal products contain cholesterol. An excess of cholesterol in the bloodstream can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
Cobalamin (B12, B-12, Cobalamine, Vitamin B12)
Essential for normal growth and functioning of all body cells, especially those of bone marrow (red blood cell formation), gastrointestinal tract and nervous system, it prevents pernicious anemia and plays a crucial part in the reproduction of every cell of the body i.e. synthesis of genetic material (DNA).
Colon (Colonic)
The part of the large intestine that extends to the rectum. The colon takes the contents of the small intestine, moving them to the rectum by contracting.
Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A set of measurements that are generally determined by specially designed machines that analyze the different components of blood in less than a minute. The values generally included are:- White blood cell count (WBC). The number of white blood cells in a volume of blood. Normal range varies slightly between laboratories but is generally between 4,300 and 10,800 cells per cubic millimeter. This can also be referred to as the leukocyte count and can be expressed in international units as 4.3 - 10.8 x 10^9 cells per liter.
- Automated white cell differential. A machine-generated percentage of the different types of white blood cells, usually split into granulocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils.
- Red cell count (RBC). The number of red blood cells in a volume of blood. Normal range varies slightly between laboratories but is generally between 4.2 - 5.9 million cells per cubic millimeter. This can also be referred to as the erythrocyte count and can be expressed in international units as 4.2 - 5.9 x 10^12 cells per liter.
- Hemoglobin (Hb). The amount of hemoglobin in a volume of blood. Normal range for hemoglobin is different between the sexes and is approximately 13 - 18 gm/dl for men and 12 - 16 for women (international units 8.1 - 11.2 millimoles/liter for men, 7.4 - 9.9 for women).
- Hematocrit (Hct). The ratio of the volume of red cells to the volume of whole blood. Normal range for hematocrit is different between the sexes and is approximately 45 - 52% for men and 37 - 48% for women.
- Mean cell volume (MCV). The average volume of a red cell. This is a calculated value derived from the hematocrit and red cell count. Normal range is 86 - 98 femtoliters.
- Mean cell hemoglobin (MCH). The average amount of hemoglobin in the average red cell. This is a calculated value derived from the measurement of hemoglobin and the red cell count. Normal range is 27 - 32 picograms.
- Mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The average concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of red cells. This is a calculated volume derived from the hemoglobin measurement and the hematocrit. Normal range is 32 - 36%.
- Red cell distribution width (RDW). A measurement of the variability of red cell size. Higher numbers indicate greater variation in size. Normal range is 11 - 15.
- Platelet count. The number of platelets in a volume blood. Platelets play a vital role in blood clotting. Normal range varies slightly between laboratories but is in the range of 150,000 - 400,000 per cubic millimeter (150 - 400 x 10^9 per liter).
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)
A test that shows a tracing of the electrical conduction of the heart.
Glaucoma
A disease of the eye characterized by vision loss due to an increase in the pressure of fluid within the eye. This rise in pressure results from a build-up of aqueous fluid and leads to progressive damage to the optic nerve that transmits visual signals to the brain. Over time, glaucoma can lead to a gradual loss in peripheral vision. There are usually no signs that you're developing glaucoma until vision loss occurs.
Glucose
A sugar that is the simplest form of carbohydrate. It is commonly referred to as blood sugar. The body breaks down carbohydrates in foods into glucose, which serves as the primary fuel for the muscles and the brain.
Helicobacter Pylori (Pylori)
H. pylori is a bacterium that is found in the stomach which, along with acid secretion, damages stomach and duodenal tissue, causing inflammation and peptic ulcers. Although most people will never have symptoms or problems related to the infection, they may include: dull, 'gnawing' pain which may occur 2-3 hours after a meal, come and go for several days or weeks, occur in the middle of the night when the stomach is empty and be relieved by eating; loss of weight; loss of appetite; bloating; burping; nausea; vomiting.
Kidneys (Kidney, Renal)
Bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys are sophisticated reprocessing machines, each day handling about 50 gallons of blood to sift out about half a gallon of waste products and extra water. The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The actual filtering occurs in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Every kidney has about a million nephrons. In a nephron, a glomerulus -- which is a tiny blood vessel, or capillary -- intertwines with a tiny urine-collecting tube called a tubule. A complicated chemical exchange takes place, as waste materials and water leave your blood and enter your urinary system. The kidneys recycle chemicals such as sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and thus regulate their levels. Renal: Pertaining to the kidneys.
Osteoporosis
A disease in which bone tissue becomes porous and brittle. The disease primarily affects postmenopausal women.
Phosphorus
The second most abundant mineral in the body, found in every living cell. It is involved in the proper functioning of both muscles and nerves. It is needed for metabolic processes of all cells, to activate many other nutrients, and to form energy-storage and energy-releasing compounds. The phosphorus content of the body is approximately 1% of total body weight. Phosphorus combines with fats to form phospholipids. Combined with calcium, it gives strength and rigidity to the bones and teeth.
Stroke (Stroke-Type Event)
A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel that supplies the brain, characterized by loss of muscular control, complete or partial loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of the damage to the brain. The most common manifestation is some degree of paralysis, but small strokes may occur without symptoms. Usually caused by arteriosclerosis, it often results in brain damage.
Thyroid (Thyroid Gland)
The thyroid gland is an organ with many veins, anchored around the front of the throat near the voice box. It is essential to normal body growth in infancy and childhood. It absorbs iodine from the diet and releases thyroid hormones - iodine-containing compounds that help govern the rate of the body's metabolism (its total life processes), affecting body temperature, and regulating protein, fat and carbohydrate catabolism in all cells. They keep up growth hormone release, skeletal maturation, and heart rate, force, and output. They promote central nervous system growth, stimulate the making of many enzymes, and are necessary for muscle tone and vigor. To a high degree, metabolism is regulated by the hormone thyroxine, which can be made by the thyroid if enough organic iodine is available. An enlarged thyroid gland that is not cancer is sometimes called goitre.
Last updated: Sep 28, 2008
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