Women are at greater risk for medical problems as they age so a proactive health care routine should include more frequent preventive tests and screenings. This is especially true if you are at high risk, have a family history of medical problems, or you have serious medical conditions.

Review With Your Doctor

• Gynecological wellness:  Pelvic exam, clinical breast exam
• Diet, exercise and sleep habits
• Comprehensive screening labs 
• Chronic physical concerns such as knee, back or joint pain
• Smoking, alcohol consumption and other substance-use habits
• Cardiovascular concerns 
• Stress management and mental health
• Memory or cognitive concerns

Immunizations

• Flu Shot, every year
• Tetanus booster, every 10 years
• Shingrix, if you haven’t already received it
• Pneumonia vaccines, starting at age 65
• COVID vaccine, as recommended

Screening Tests (These are guidelines only. Your primary care provider will personalize the timing and frequency of screening tests for you).

• Mammogram. The American Cancer Society recommends that women 55 and older should switch to mammograms every 2 years or can continue yearly screening. Discuss with your primary care provider what is best for you given your personal risk factors.
• Blood Pressure.  Blood pressure measures the force your organs and blood vessels experience and is a strong predictor of heart attack and stroke risk.
• Blood Cholesterol Levels. This simple blood test measures the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood to inform your risk of plaque buildup in your arteries. If you have a family history of diabetes, heart disease, or other cardiac risk factors, you may need to be screened more often.
• Type 2 Diabetes.  The A1C is a blood test that tells you what your average blood glucose levels have been for the past 2 to 3 months. It measures how much glucose is attached to your red blood cells and is used to diagnose diabetes.
• Colorectal Screening. Several screening tests can be used to find polyps or colorectal cancer. A colonoscopy is the best test and the only one recommended if you’ve had polyps; if you haven’t, then a stool test may suffice. Talk to your provider about which test is right for you.
• Lung Cancer Screening.  Lung cancer screening is a process that uses a low dose CT (LDCT) scan to detect the presence of lung cancer in otherwise healthy people with a high risk of lung cancer. 
• Electrocardiogram. Electrocardiogram is a non-invasive and painless medical test that detects cardiac (heart) abnormalities by measuring the electrical activity generated by the heart as it contracts. Talk to your doctor to determine if this test is right for you.
• Depression screening.  Screening for depression is the cornerstone of early recognition, diagnosis, and management.
• Hearing tests. Hearing screens are easy, non-painful tests to measure hearing loss.
• Visual exams. There are many components of standard visual acuity tests including the ability to discern the shapes and details of the things you see, color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
• Cardiovascular disease. This screening might include abdominal aortic aneurysm and carotid artery ultrasound screening.
• Osteoporosis and balance screening. Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle, causing fractures especially in the hip, wrist or spine. Osteoporosis affects men and women of all races, but white and Asian women, especially older women who are past menopause are at highest risk. Combat brittle bones by eating a variety of calcium-rich foods, incorporating leafy greens into your diets and getting lots of vitamin D, as well as exercise.
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease screening. To aid in the prevention of dementia or Alzheimer’s, keep your brain active with mind workouts and crossword puzzles. Proper diet and physical exercise are additional ways to keep your brain healthy.

Wellness Checks

Schedule a wellness check with your primary care provider every year.