The yearly physical has been ingrained in our minds and yet the evidence behind it is quite shaky. In fact, what you see your doctor for changes as you get older. So here’s a guide of what you should be checking whether your 35 or 75.
http://www.cbc.ca/life/wellness/a-guide-to-more-efficient-medical-screenings-whether-you-re-35-or-75-1.4389140
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In 1976, the government formed the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination. The task force was given a daunting task: come up with a comprehensive plan for protecting the health of Canadians.
After 3 years of deliberation they concluded, Â “…that the annual check-up, as practiced almost ritualistically for several decades in North America, be abandoned.”
Yet forty years later, we’re still doing it.
The main issue with the routine, annual check-up is that it’s an inefficient way to screen for disease and casts too wide a net. Medical check-ups should not be a one-sized-fits-all strategy. Intuitively this makes sense, since people in their 20s have different issues and priorities than people in their 70s. A better way is an individualized risk-based strategy that depends on your age and sex. Routine annual blood tests, chest x-rays and ECGs for otherwise healthy people are neither necessary nor beneficial, and in fact they don’t seem to reduce mortality. Finally, it’s important to remember that over-testing leads to false positives, which can lead to more invasive tests like biopsies that carry risks. Do enough unnecessary tests, and you may eventually cause a complication.
So what should be checking when you go to your doctor? Here’s what you should be asking your doctor to be checked for throughout the various stages of your life.
Your 20s and 30s
While heart disease remains one of the top killers in Canada and North America, the risk of heart disease for young adults is very low. In fact, routine ECGs and stress tests are not recommendedfor this age group or any other in the absence of any symptoms. Other tests like ultrasound screening of the arteries or CT scans to measure coronary calcium are also not recommended despite their increasing popularity in private labs.
Blood pressure checks should start at age 18 and continue throughout adulthood. However, even though most people get their blood pressure checked routinely at every doctor’s visit, otherwise healthy people under 40 probably only need to get their blood pressure checked every 3-5 years.
Cancer checks usually start later in life, but there is one exception. Cervical cancer screening, usually with PAP smears, should start at age 25, or age 21 if you follow the U.S. guidelines. But while cervical cancer screening is recommended, routine pelvic exams in asymptomatic women are not.
Vaccinations may seem like something you’re done with in childhood but some diseases like tetanus require booster shots in adulthood. Also, if you plan to travel, you may need vaccines to protect you from diseases like cholera, yellow fever or typhoid. You may also need anti-malaria medication if you plan to travel to warmer climates.
Finally, while most people can be blasé about the risks of sex, screening for sexually transmitted infections like Chlamydia and gonorrhea is recommended for women starting at age 25, or earlier if they are sexually active.
Obviously, people who have a medical condition or risk factors need to be seen more frequently than the general population. Â And your doctor is likely the first place to go when you have issues regarding mental health, birth control, quitting smoking, and any acute illness like a sudden bout of bronchitis.
Your 40s
While it’s not quite downhill after 40, several health prevention strategies do start to kick in.
Before age 40, checking on your blood pressure was the only cardiac factors that merited any attention. Afterwards, some additional testing is recommended. Age 40 is when people should start checking…
